The Journey Home
by Artemis Luna Diana
Summary: Sequel to ‘Surprise Surprise’: with the secrets of wormhole technology unlocked, John and Cassandra have the opportunity to return to Earth, but are they prepared for what could happen, please r/r **COMPLETE**
1. A Reason to...

I own nothing. Good! Now that we got that out of the way, this is a sequel to 'Surprise  
Surprise' which unfortuntely for you and fortuntely for me, you will need to read to   
understand this story. Then you can review or e-mail me and tell me how wonderful   
they both are, hehe  
  
Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 1: A Reason to...  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{4 cycles after the events of 'Surprise Surprise'}  
  
***  
  
"If John doesn't kill you, Aeryn will!"  
  
"I KNOW!"  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
Cassandra and Chiana turned guilty eyes to Zhaan. Chiana chuckled nervously, "Uh, nothing?"  
  
Zhaan eyes widened. "By the Goddess, Chiana, you didn't."  
  
"We have no idea what you are talking about," Cassandra said seriously and grabbed Chiana's   
arm to pull her away from Zhaan's suspicious gaze.  
  
A peal of laughter rang down the corridor and a miniature figure ran towards the three women.   
It appeared to be a small child but it was difficult to tell do to the large amount of white   
powder covering it.  
  
"Jeeze, Chiana! What is it, flour?" Cassandra asked astonished.  
  
"She was in the apothecary?!" Zhaan yelped recognizing the power as one of her herbal remedies.  
  
"Just help me catch her!" Chiana yelled and darted towards the powdered child.  
  
The three finally managed to corner the giggling child and carted her off to Chiana's shower   
to clean her up. Zhaan lectured Chiana the entire time about her responsibilities in   
volunteering to baby-sit. Cassandra did her best not to grin, since Zhaan felt this was not a   
laughing matter and it was her best friend who was being lectured. When Zhaan left, Chiana   
breathed a sigh of relief, and Cassandra was free to laugh at her friend's expense.  
  
Chiana scowled and picked up the wiggling, freshly cleaned child. "Let's go visit Uncle   
D'Argo, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" the girl piped. "Are you coming too, Aunt Cass?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Okay!"  
  
***  
  
"Xhalax!"  
  
"You said you had a present for me, Uncle D'Argo," the precocious girl said grinning and   
jumped into his lap.  
  
D'Argo grinned. He had a real soft spot for John and Aeryn's child. "Yes, I did."  
  
"So?! What is it?!" Xhalax bounced with enthusiasm.  
  
"A cousin," he said smiling.  
  
"REALLY?!"  
  
"D'Argo! You didn't tell us!" Cassandra grinned. "Congratulations!"   
  
D'Argo laughed. "Really," he assured Xhalax.  
  
"How far along is Jool?" Chiana asked.  
  
"Two monens."  
  
"How long will it be before the baby is born?" Cassandra asked.  
  
D'Argo grinned sheepishly. "It will take at least a cycle."  
  
Cassandra bust out laughing, and Chiana grinned. They both could see Jool's reaction to that   
news quite clearly.  
  
"There you are."  
  
Everyone looked up to see John standing in the doorway. "Daddy!" Xhalax scrambled off   
D'Argo's lap and ran to her father. John scooped her up and set her on his hip.  
  
"Guess what happened today! I went to Aunt Zhaan's room and I got covered with white stuff."   
She laughed happily. "It was fun!" She leaned over and gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Really?" he asked and turned to Chiana who grinned guiltily.  
  
"Yep! It took Aunt Chiana FOREVER to catch me!" She laughed again. "She had to get Aunt Cass   
and Aunt Zhaan to help her." She turned to the aunt she was currently getting in trouble.   
"It's 'cause she's too slow," she said haughtily and stuck out her tongue.  
  
Cassandra and D'Argo were desperately trying not to fall to the floor laughing. Chiana glanced   
at John, trying to figure out if he was getting mad. "Uh, sorry?" John laughed, and Chiana let   
out a breath of relief.  
  
***  
  
John and Cassandra sat in the Terrace, schematics spread out across the floor. John had put   
Xhalax down for her afternoon nap. Aeryn, heavily pregnant with their second child, was napping   
with her. Though neither possessed the intense desire to return to Earth anymore, the two Humans   
still worked on unlocking the secrets of wormhole technology.   
  
"We've checked the data six times, Cass. I think this is it."  
  
"Then that means we've done it."  
  
They looked up and their eyes met. Twin grins crossed their faces. "And the award goes to the   
Crichtons!" They laughed and hugged.  
  
"The Universe is no longer safe!" Suddenly Cassandra stopped laughing.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I just had a horrible thought."  
  
"What?" John asked growing concerned.  
  
"What are we going to do now? I mean, we've been working on this for over four cycles. What   
next?" John laughed. Cassandra grinned. "Hey, wanna trash the data and try and figure it out   
again?" Cassandra wagged her eyebrows.  
  
"Oh, no!" John stood up.  
  
"Oh, come on! It'd be fun!" she said standing.  
  
They began picking up the Terrace, still cracking jokes. They both began to fall silent as the   
full implications of their discovery began to sink in. "John?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Cassandra looked out at the stars, avoiding his gaze. "Before we begin saving the Universe...   
do... do you want to... do you want to visit Earth?" John didn't say anything and the room was   
suddenly filled with tension. "I... I want to know if Dad is okay."  
  
John sighed. "Yeah, Cass. I want to know too. And I want to know about DK."  
  
"And Laurie," she added quietly.  
  
"And Laurie," he agreed.  
  
She smiled at him, "Though I don't know why, she hates us."  
  
John smiled at her attempt to lighten the mood, and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I wouldn't   
mind rubbing her nose in our success. She always said we'd never go anywhere."  
  
Cassandra laughed. "Boy, was she wrong." They walked out of the room grinning.  
  
***  
  
Everyone gathered in Command except Xhalax, who was asleep with four DRDs watching in case the   
little mischief-maker woke up. Cassandra alternated between pacing and biting her thumb. John cracked   
his knuckles, and Jool winced.   
  
"Alright, it's obvious that something is bothering you two. Just tell us what it is," D'Argo said   
breaking the silence.  
  
"Um... we... uh..." Cassandra began to mumble.  
  
"Spit it out!" Chiana broke in.  
  
"We figured out the wormhole technology," John said quietly.  
  
Everyone was silent. Zhaan hesitated for a microt then said, "We always knew you would. What is wrong?"  
  
"We want to visit Earth, if that's okay..." Cassandra said softly.  
  
"I think they should be able to," Aeryn said, not really surprised at the wishes of her mate and his   
sister. She also realized how much it meant to the two Humans to let their loved ones know they were   
still alive.  
  
"Moya and I agree," Pilot added.  
  
"Me too," Chiana said after a moment.  
  
"I think so as well," Zhaan said.  
  
"So do I," Stark murmured.  
  
"I suppose I agree," Rygel said loftily.  
  
D'Argo nodded and Jool smiled her agreement. John clapped his hands together. "Good, now that we got   
that out of the way, we just have to figure out exactly how we are going to make contact."  
  
"I don't think we should show up and land," Cassandra replied.  
  
"I agree, that would put us in danger," D'Argo agreed.  
  
"We'd have to contact them, let them know we're there... then what?" John asked.  
  
Cassandra shook her head, "We'll just have to play it by ear. We don't know how they'll respond. Which   
reminds me, what exactly are we planning on saying to them?"  
  
"How about, 'Honey, I'm home?'"  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes and started to reply when Pilot spoke. "Talyn arrived 600 microts ago."   
Cassandra grinned and ran out of Command.  
  
"I never thought I'd see the day..." John began.  
  
Aeryn grinned at him and finished his sentence. "...that Crais was, what did you call it, 'whipped' by a   
woman."  
  
Chiana laughed, "She has him wrapped around her finger." They all smiled at Chiana's unconscious use   
of Human slang.  
  
"Oh!" Aeryn suddenly yelped. Everyone snapped to attention.  
  
"Is it time?" John asked anxiously.  
  
"I think so..." Zhaan and Jool were instantly by her side and guiding her to the apothecary, John   
following close behind babbling that everything was going to be fine.  
  
***  
  
Cassandra entered the docking bay in time to see Crais step from Talyn's transport pod. She ran to   
him and jumped into his arms. He grunted in surprise, and they fell to the ground. She grinned down   
at him. "Hi."  
  
"Hi," he replied smiling. They shared a tender kiss, breaking apart when Pilot's voice came over the com.  
  
"Aeryn has gone into labor."  
  
"We'll be right there, Pilot," Cassandra replied. She looked down with an amused expression on her   
face. "Come on, we'd better go get him drunk again."  
  
"Don't you think he'll be able to handle this birth a little better than Xhalax's?" Crais asked as   
they stood. Cassandra shot him a look of disbelief. Crais gave a wry smile, "Right. We'd better   
find some fellip nectar."  
  
"D'Argo and I got stash for just this purpose," she replied, and they headed to her quarters.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	2. ...get drunk.

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 2: ...get drunk.  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
Two arns later found Crais, Cassandra, John, and D'Argo in the central chamber with what   
seemed to be an endless supply of fellip nectar. John was already on the edge of drunk.  
  
"Ya know," he slurred, "I think I've got this whole labor thing down." He stood and swayed.   
"I'm gonna go to Aeryn now."  
  
D'Argo pushed him back into his seat. "Sit. The last thing Zhaan and Jool need is your body   
laying in the middle of the floor."  
  
"I'm fine," he protested.  
  
Cassandra snorted. "John, do you remember when Xhalax was born?"  
  
He stared at her confused. "Vaguely."  
  
"You spent the first thirty microts yelling at Zhaan and Jool. You resisted all our efforts   
to calm you down, and it took six arns before you were drunk enough to not go into hysterics   
when you saw Aeryn," Cassandra said matter-of-factly.  
  
Crais smiled. "I don't understand why you can be by Aeryn when she is injured and keep somewhat   
calm, but something as simple as labor makes you farbot."  
  
John scowled. "I'm fine... and that's not how I remember it."  
  
D'Argo laughed. "What do you remember, John?" he asked seriously.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
Cassandra grinned, "Yes?"  
  
"Leave me alone, I can't think right now." He stood again. "Got to go to Aeryn."  
  
D'Argo pushed him back down. "Sit. Have another bottle."  
  
{4 arns later}  
  
John was utterly and completely drunk. Cassandra was staring blankly at nothing. D'Argo was   
singing, and Crais was unconscious.  
  
"D'Argo will you shut up!" John yelled.  
  
"You don't like my singing?" D'Argo asked slightly hurt.  
  
"You want to hear a real drinking song?" John asked oblivious to the question. "Hey, Cass,   
sing with me: Show me the way to go home." He tapped out the beat on the table. "I'm   
tired and I wanna go to bed..."  
  
Cassandra joined in. Beating her latest bottle on the table in time with the music. "I had a   
little drink about an..." They both laughed, "...arn..." More laughter. "...ago and it   
went right to my head..."  
  
{3 arns later}  
  
D'Argo had long since joined Crais in unconsciousness; John was still merrily singing every song   
he could remember, and Cassandra was slowly loosing her grip on reality. Chiana walked in and   
grinned.  
  
"John, Aeryn wants you."  
  
John grinned happily. He stood swaying, and Chiana went to his side to help balance him. "Pip,   
did you know we're having a baby?"  
  
Cassandra's head snapped up at that. "Chiana, you're pregnant with John's kid?" She shook her   
head. "Aeryn's not going to be happy about that," she said and promptly passed out. Her head hit   
the table with a loud thud.  
  
Chiana laughed and helped John walk to the apothecary. "I can't wait to see you all tomorrow."   
She glanced over at the oblivious John and grinned. "And Cassandra wondered why I wasn't going to   
join you this time."   
  
"You missed one hell of a party," he assured her as they stumbled into the apothecary.  
  
Aeryn was breathing heavily, resting after a contraction, but she smiled when she saw him. He   
stumbled over to her, completely unaware of Zhaan and Jool. "Hey, baby," he said and gave her a   
sloppy kiss. "How are ya feelin'?" She didn't reply, but gripped his hand as another contraction   
came, groaning in pain. Chiana had managed to bring him just in time.   
  
"Aeryn, it's time to push," Zhaan said soothingly.   
  
John seemed to sober somewhat at that statement. He helped Aeryn sit up slightly. "John!" she   
panted. He sat down behind her, propping her up more, letting her lean her back against his chest   
and grip his arms where they circled under her breasts.  
  
"Push, Aeryn!" Zhaan commanded as the next contraction hit. Aeryn let loose a wordless scream.   
Aeryn sobbed as the contraction ended. Another began almost immediately. "Push!" Zhaan called to   
her. A microt later, "Okay, Aeryn. Rest for a microt. *Don't* push." Zhaan checked to make sure   
that the umbilical cord wasn't wrapped around the baby's neck. "Alright, Aeryn, I need you to push   
again. Push!" A microt later. "Once more, push!" Zhaan took the small infant in her arms as Jool   
cut the cord. "It's a boy," she said happily as John and Aeryn's son protested being taken from his   
mother's womb. John and Aeryn laughed in joy and shared a loving kiss. "Okay, Aeryn, time for the   
afterbirth."   
  
Zhaan cleaned up Aeryn while Jool cleaned up the infant and examined him. By the time Aeryn was   
clean, dressed in a loose robe, and laying back on the bed propped up in John's arms, Jool had   
finished. She brought Aeryn the baby wrapped in a small blanket and placed him in her arms. Aeryn   
and John stared in wonder at their son. Jool, Zhaan, and Chiana smiled at the happy family. Though   
tired, Zhaan tapped her com. "Pilot, please have Stark and Rygel bring Xhalax to the apothecary,   
it's time to meet her brother."  
  
"Yes, Zhaan."  
  
"So, what is his name?" Chiana prompted.  
  
Aeryn looked at John. He had named Xhalax after her mother, and she had agreed completely with   
his choice. If it was possible, she had fallen even more in love with him then she had been.   
"Jack," she said softly. His eyes lit, and she was happy her choice had touched him as much as   
his had touched her.  
  
Stark, Rygel, and little Xhalax came into the room. Xhalax spotted her parents and ran to them.   
John leaned over and pulled her up beside them so she could see her brother. "Is that my brother?"   
she asked wonderingly.  
  
Aeryn smiled. "His name is Jack."  
  
"Hi, Jack," she whispered softly. She leaned over the quiet infant. "I'm going to take care of   
you," she assured him as only a three-year-old can. "I'm going to be the best sister to you."  
  
John kissed his daughter's forehead and she giggled. He stared at her confused. "What?"  
  
"You smell funny."  
  
Aeryn shook with silent laughter, and John stared at his daughter in shock. "Well I never..."  
  
***  
  
"Ah! Someone grab my head! It's rolling down the hall!" Cassandra cried and clutched her head.  
  
"Not so loud!" D'Argo pleaded.  
  
"I'm going to be sick," Crais mumbled and promptly threw up. The DRDs scurried to clean it up.   
Cassandra and D'Argo had already emptied their stomachs earlier, Pilot had the DRDs waiting for   
Crais to follow suit.  
  
Chiana backed away from the three and grinned. "Anyone want breakfast?" Cassandra turned a   
sickly shade of green, D'Argo paled visibly, and if Crais could look any more ill, he did.  
  
"I do," John said cheerfully.  
  
Cassandra scowled at him. "It's a conspiracy," she told her hung-over companions. "Zhaan is the   
mastermind behind it all."  
  
"Why couldn't you give us something?" D'Argo asked Zhaan, who was happily eating.  
  
"Because you don't have a baby to care for," she informed them mercilessly.  
  
"I thought fellip nectar didn't give you a hangover," John questioned and took Jack from Aeryn so   
she could eat.  
  
"With the amount you four consumed, it was impossible not to," Jool said evilly and glared at her mate.  
  
"This is all your fault, Crichton," Crais grumbled.  
  
"For real, we were helping ya'll out and get treated like dogs for our troubles," Cassandra muttered.  
  
"I am not a dog," D'Argo said emphatically.  
  
"No one said you were," Cassandra replied.  
  
"I did," Rygel said stuffing his face.  
  
D'Argo growled. "If I wasn't sure my head would fall off, I'd kill you right now." Rygel laughed.  
  
"We do appreciate you keeping John under control," Zhaan informed them.  
  
"But you didn't have to drink yourselves drunk as well," Jool finished.  
  
"That's John's fault. Him and his frelling drinking contest," Cassandra said and glared at him.  
  
"Can I come to the next drinking contest?" Xhalax asked.  
  
"No," Aeryn replied.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"When you are older, you can. Right now, you can't," John answered.  
  
"That's not fair!"  
  
"Sure it is, sweet-cakes," John said and snatched the food in her hand before she could throw it.   
Xhalax pouted and shoved her plate away from her.  
  
The three hung-over crew members continued to shoot dark glances at their cheerful companions. Every   
once in awhile, the word "revenge" could be heard from their side of the table. Zhaan and Stark   
finished eating first, and Stark helped the tired Priestess stand. They walked back to their   
quarters so that Zhaan could sleep some more. Aeryn and John finished, gathered their children up   
and headed back to their quarters. Aeryn and Jack to sleep, and John and Xhalax to keep an eye on   
them. Rygel left with a plate of food, leaving behind a couple of nasty comments for the hung-over   
group. Chiana and Jool stayed with the three, until finally Jool had pity on them and left to get   
the shot to clear their heads.   
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
Can you tell I don't really have any idea what it's like to give birth? was that scene too bad? how  
is the story going? like? hate? please let me know!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	3. A History Lesson

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 3: A History Lesson  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
After Jool administered the shot, the group had stayed in the central chamber to talk. "So,   
how is the new Pilot and Talyn getting along?" Cassandra asked Crais.   
  
Talyn was now fully grown and nearly twice the size of Moya, which was a combination of the   
genetic tempering the Peacekeepers did and the fact that male leviathans are bigger than   
females. They had all decided that the best thing for Talyn would be to have a Pilot instead   
of Captain, until then Crais would remain his Captain. Two monens ago, Talyn had finally reached   
maturity, and Crais had taken him to the Pilots' home-world. It took the Pilots over a monen to   
chose a suitable Pilot for the gunship, and this was the first time the crew of Moya had seen them   
since the Pilot had joined with Talyn.  
  
"They seem to like each other, though Talyn was slightly distrustful at first," Crais replied.  
  
"Hopefully, the Pilot's presence will calm him down," D'Argo remarked.  
  
"Is it a female or male Pilot?" Jool asked.  
  
"Female."  
  
"Are you going to come with us?" Chiana asked changing the subject. Crais and Cassandra could   
talk forever about Talyn, and if Aeryn joined in, they could talk for an eternity.   
  
"Come with you?" he asked puzzled.  
  
"I hadn't had the chance to tell him," Cassandra said shooting daggers at Chiana.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"John and Cassandra figured out the wormhole technology," Jool explained.  
  
Crais turned guarded eyes to Cassandra, "You are going home."  
  
"Only for a visit, I'm not going to stay," she assured him, and he relaxed visibly.  
  
"Then, yes," Crais said replying to Chiana's question. "Talyn and I will be coming. Besides,   
Talyn wishes to speak with Moya more about Pilots."  
  
"Moya gets to play Mommy, that should make her happy," Cassandra remarked with a grin.  
  
"How are you adjusting to the absence of the transponder?" Jool asked.  
  
"It's not completely gone, Talyn was adamant that until he was bonded completely to the new Pilot   
that I still be linked to him. So I have a smaller version that allows me to keep in contact with   
Talyn. I don't have control over any of his systems, it's just a conscious link," he explained.  
  
They talked for another arn or so, until Jool stood saying she wanted to check on Jack, and D'Argo   
left with her. Chiana stayed though, and the conversation turned to Earth.  
  
"How many cycles have you been gone now?" Chiana asked.  
  
"Me? I've been gone about six cycles; John's been gone about eight, though."  
  
"You and John always talk about your Dad and DK, is there anyone else you miss?" Chiana asked.   
  
"In rare moments I find myself missing my sister," she said grinning.  
  
"You have a sister?" Chiana asked. "Neither one of you ever mention her."  
  
"That's cause we have a mutual hate-hate relationship with her." At Chiana's confused expression,   
Cassandra began explaining. "See, John's the oldest. Laura, or Laurie as we call her, is two cycles   
younger than John, and she's three cycles older than me; I'm the baby," she grinned. "Laurie can be   
a real bitch. She thinks that John and I wasted ourselves by following in Dad's footsteps. She and   
Dad don't get along to well either. She doesn't have a lot of patience for anything that deals with   
space... or science for that matter."  
  
"So she's not a tech," Crais prompted.  
  
"She's not an anything. She married this rich real estate guy and sits on her but all day. He's a   
real idiot, too. I hope they didn't breed, it'd contaminate the gene pool," Cassandra said only-half   
joking. "They didn't have any kids when I left, but who knows now."  
  
"Why do you miss her then?" Chiana asked.  
  
"I don't know. Despite everything mean she says and does to us, John and I can't hate her." She   
scowled, "Though I've tried." She brightened. "I wish I could see her face when she finds out where   
we've been, what we've been doing," she looked at Crais and leered, "and who we've been doing it with."  
  
Chiana laughed; Cassandra and Crais had a very unique relationship, only Aeryn and John's had been   
slightly weirder. 'Maybe it's just Humans,' she thought. She knew that Cassandra and Crais cared very   
much for each other though neither had ever mentioned the word love. She knew they had a few, what   
Cassandra called, "make-out sessions" but they hadn't frelled. Which was probably because of what happened   
to Cassandra when she was with the K'lar'in, as well as the fact that giving into their desires would   
mean another step in their relationship. Cassandra had tried explaining the whole complicated mess to   
her, but it had just confused her. Her reply had been simple. "Frell him, already!"  
  
"I want to see my nephew," Cassandra announced standing. "Wanna come?"  
  
Crais and Chiana stood and the three walked to John and Aeryn's quarters, Cassandra keeping a steady   
stream of conversation going. Chiana often found herself amazed at the way things had turned out.   
Crais had begun as an enemy, and now was considered a friend and someone who could be trusted. With   
John and Cassandra's influence, Crais had softened, revealing the caring boy who had been ripped from   
his home by the Peacekeepers. The only link to his home had been Tauvo, which is why he had gone   
slightly farbot when John and Tauvo crashed. If you watched him around Cassandra, you could see hints   
of the man he would have become without the influence of the Peacekeepers, a great man.  
  
***  
  
John watched Aeryn sleep. D'Argo and Jool had been by to see Jack, but had left when they saw Aeryn   
was still asleep, taking Xhalax with them. Jack slept beside his mom, basking in the love his parents   
felt for him. Aeryn woke instantly when he shifted. Little Jack was waking up because he was hungry.   
Aeryn looked at the smile on John's face and then back at their son. Jack quieted when Aeryn brought   
him to her breast.   
  
"Where is Xhalax?" Aeryn asked, noticing her daughter had disappeared from John's lap.  
  
"D'Argo and Jool stopped by. Xhalax left with them," he smiled, "I guess I wasn't providing much   
entertainment."  
  
They stared at each other in silence, their eyes conveying the deep love they felt for each other more   
than words ever could. John felt his chest tighten with his love for her and their children. Aeryn   
made a beautiful mother. It had been hard for her at first, learning how to care for a baby, but   
D'Argo's experience helped. Zhaan and Cassandra were both at ease around Xhalax and able to help.   
Jool and Chiana were eager to learn how to help. Even Rygel and Stark and been sucked into the need   
to care for her. Aeryn was a very lucky first mother to have so much help, and Xhalax was   
becoming a very well-rounded child.   
  
Xhalax was the splitting image of Aeryn with one exception; she had John's eyes. Xhalax was a   
highly intelligent child, even more so than the above-average Human or Sebacean. Jool believed   
this was because of the traces of Pilot DNA in her genes. She was physically almost four cycles   
old, Aeryn's pregnancy had lasted a monen longer than the average Sebacean pregnancy. However,   
her physical appearance disguised the unbelievable intelligence she had. John figured that she   
knew more than the average ten-year-old Human child, even if she acted like the average   
four-year-old. She already helped care for Moya and was trying to con John or Aeryn into teaching   
her to fly.  
  
"I love you," John said softly.  
  
"Come here," Aeryn said and held out her free hand. John stood and walked over to the bed. He sat   
down beside her, and she immediately curled towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder and he   
wrapped his arms around her and Jack, who had fallen asleep at his mother's breast. She looked up at   
him and their eyes met. Aeryn leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I like it better   
when you hold me and say you love me."  
  
John smiled, "I love you." He kissed her again.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
Their kiss was broken by the sounds of laughter coming down the corridor. The three 'C's were coming   
for a visit. John laughed softly at the thought. Cassandra had called them that one time they had   
been on a Commerce Planet and the three had gotten everyone in trouble. Cassandra had taken to calling   
them the three 'C's or the 'Three Caballeros' or similar sayings ever since.  
  
"Yoo-ho! Anyone home?" Cassandra asked in a soft sing-song voice, just in case Aeryn and Jack were   
asleep.  
  
John grinned at Aeryn and called out, "Go away!"  
  
Cassandra bust out laughing, "Come on, peps, John is trying to get some!"   
  
The three walked away but not before John and Aeryn heard Chiana ask, "Get some what?"  
  
"What *are* you trying to get?" Aeryn asked smiling. John leaned close and kissed her softly. The   
kiss soon began to heat.  
  
"Three days," John groaned and broke the kiss. He got up from the bed and began to pace trying to   
cool his blood. Aeryn couldn't help smiling, he looked so adorable.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	4. Entrances and Exits

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 4: Entrances and Exits  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
Chiana left Cassandra and Crais sensing the two were wanting to have some alone time. She   
took off for Rygel's quarters, figuring they could find some mischief to get into. Crais   
and Cassandra walked in silence around Moya. They enjoyed the comfort of being together and   
the steady activity that kept them from pouncing on each other.  
  
Without realizing it, they had walked to her quarters. Cassandra hesitated then opened the   
door. "Do you want to come in?" she asked entering. Crais followed her in without replying.  
  
Cassandra picked up some of the clothes she had scattered over the floor and placed them on the   
chair. She stared down at the chair, without turning she spoke, "I'm worried about tomorrow."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Something could happen. Everything could go wrong. I mean, John and I both want to go down to   
the planet. What if, when we do, they capture us?"  
  
"I would free you."  
  
"What if I die?"  
  
Cassandra felt Crais come up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to   
face him. "I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
She gave a shaky smile, "Promise?"  
  
"Always." He leaned close, and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Cassandra wrapped her arms   
around his neck and pulled him closer as the kiss began to grow more passionate. Crais guided them   
over to the bed as they began to remove each other's clothes. "Are you sure about this?" he asked   
softly. Cassandra had always been the one to stop them from going to far.  
  
"Right now, it's the only thing I am sure of," she said and their lips met for a deep kiss.  
  
***  
  
"Pilot? What was that?" Aeryn asked as Moya shuddered slightly.  
  
"It's Talyn. He's firing his main cannon," Pilot replied.  
  
"What?!" D'Argo's voice shouted into the com.  
  
"Why is he firing?" Chiana asked and began to head for Command.  
  
"He says there is no danger... he has stopped."  
  
"Then why was he firing?" John asked.  
  
"He says, it's because he is happy."  
  
"Because he's happy?" Jool asked confused.  
  
"What the frell is he happy about?" Rygel asked.  
  
"We could ask Crais..." Stark began.  
  
"No, I believe we should leave Crais alone," Zhaan said cutting him off with a meaningful glance.  
  
"Oh I see," Stark said softly.  
  
"What do you see? Zhaan, what's going on?" John asked frustrated.  
  
"Oh, I get it," Chiana said laughing. "Talyn's happy cause Crais and Cassandra are frelling." She   
collapsed to the floor as her laughter got more and more out of control. "Do you think this will   
happen every time?" she wheezed, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.  
  
"Body-breeders!" Rygel muttered and his com clicked off.  
  
D'Argo was failing to control his laughter so his com clicked off soon after Rygel's and Jool   
followed suit. Chiana's laughter cut off as she clicked off her com, though those close to her   
location could still hear her laughing. Stark and Zhaan clicked off silently, happy smiles   
spreading across their faces. Aeryn grinned at John, reached over and tapped his com.   
  
"I really didn't want to know..." he said trying not to smile.  
  
***  
  
Crais woke slowly. He could feel a slight pressure on his chest and without opening his eyes, he   
knew it was Cassandra he felt wrapped around him.  
  
'It is nearly time to begin,' Talyn's voice echoed in his mind.  
  
Crais didn't reply. He slowly got up from the bed, careful not to wake her. He dressed quickly and   
walked back over to her sleeping form. He brushed her hair away from her face with the back of his   
hand. He leaned close and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I love you," he whispered. He stood and   
left the room.  
  
'I am happy for you,' Talyn spoke softly.  
  
Deep in thought, Crais did not answer. He entered the docking bay and boarded the transport he had   
arrived in, and left for Talyn.  
  
***  
  
"And so it begins."  
  
John shot Cassandra a look, and she shrugged. "That's not the best line to use in this situation," he   
said and looked back down at the panel in front of him.  
  
"Why not? I could actually imagine Kosh saying that right now." Cassandra walked over to him and   
watched him input the data.  
  
"Because the war began right after he said it."  
  
"Good point."  
  
John looked up when he finished and turned to his family and friends. "Are you ready?"  
  
D'Argo glanced around and answered for everyone, "Yes."  
  
"Pilot, are Talyn and Moya ready?"  
  
"Yes, John."  
  
"Then let's go."  
  
The crew watched anxiously as a wormhole began to form in front of the two leviathans. It stabilized   
and Moya moved forward. Moya shuddered as she entered the wormhole. "Is Talyn following?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Yes. His Pilot says that he is nervous, but Crais is keeping him calm," Pilot replied. Moya   
shuddered again. "We will exit the wormhole in 10 microts."  
  
The crew was silent, other than Zhaan's calming chants. Her voice soothed them, when their fear   
began to increase. Cassandra gripped her hands together in an effort to keep them still. John   
clasped Aeryn to his side and their eyes met. John looked down at his son resting in her arms, then   
back up at her. The worry was evident in his eyes. Aeryn tightened her hold on her mate, trying to   
calm him.  
  
"We are through the wormhole," Pilot's voice broke their thoughts.  
  
Cassandra looked up, and John turned to see. They both gasped softly. Earth was right in front of them.  
  
"Talyn is through. Everyone is unharmed," Pilot informed them.  
  
***  
  
"Sir!" A middle-aged Colonel burst into the room, waving a piece of paper. He rushed to the side of   
the Secretary of Defense and handed it to him. He read it and slowly stood in shock. He turned to   
the President, who was staring at him waiting for an explanation. "Mr. President, two alien ships have   
appeared in Earth orbit."  
  
"What?!" he asked in surprise.  
  
"It's been confirmed. The Russians have already contacted us asking if we have any information."  
  
"My, God." He stared at the Defense Secretary in horror. "Do we know if they are hostile?"  
  
He glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand. "The larger of the two ships, is heavily armed. We   
don't know about the other."  
  
The President stood. "Get the cabinet together and the joint chiefs. We need to decide what to do   
about this. Get a hold of IASA, NASA, hell contact SETI, I want to know what they think about this."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
***  
  
"Is that Earth?" Rygel asked.  
  
John glanced over at him, grinning like a loon. "That's Earth."  
  
"It's beautiful," Zhaan said smiling.  
  
"What do we do now?" Stark asked.  
  
"Wait," Cassandra said, her own smile fading.  
  
"Wait?" D'Argo asked.  
  
"We figured they'd try and contact us. We think it might be best if we waited for them to do so,   
instead of adding to their surprise immediately," John explained.  
  
"So, we wait," Cassandra confirmed.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
I also do not own B5... for those of you who did not recognize were the Kosh statement came from: Babylon 5  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	5. Communication

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 5: Communication  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{3 hours after ET sighting}  
  
"That's it? That's the best idea we've got?" the President asked, standing in agitation.   
"Just send a message with a bunch of math and science symbols and hope they don't attack!"  
  
"Math and science are universal languages, Mr. President. They wouldn't be able to reach here   
without them," said Dr. Peter Stone, head of NASA.  
  
"Why haven't they tried to contact us?" he asked beginning to pace. No one answered. "You   
don't know." He stopped pacing. "We could be having a real-life 'Independence Day!'"  
  
"They haven't tried to attack us," Dr. Umi Kanzaki, head of IASA, said. "They are orbiting beside   
the Space Station and can easily destroy it, but they haven't. If they were hostile, they would   
have taken it out first."  
  
The President stared at her a moment before sighing, acknowledging the truth of her statement. "So your   
scientists are coming up with something to send to them?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. President. I've brought one of our leading scientists with me. This is Dr. David   
Kirkland," she said introducing the young man she had brought with her.  
  
"So, Dr. Kirkland, what is this message we are going to send?"  
  
"We decided to begin with prime numbers, it's simple and would be hard to misinterpret..."   
  
***  
  
"We are receiving a transmission from the planet," Pilot informed them. "I would not have noticed   
it, if you hadn't told me what to look for, John," he acknowledged. "It appears to be prime   
numbers." His image glanced up at the two Humans.  
  
"It's probably not meant as a message," John replied.  
  
"They are trying to establish communication by sharing concepts since they figure we won't be able to   
understand each other's languages," Cassandra explained when she saw the blank looks on the faces of   
their friends.  
  
John glanced at Cassandra and grinned. "Kind of sounds like something DK would think of." He looked   
up at the clamshell. "Can you trace where the transmission came from?" John asked Pilot.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Link into the channel, I want to know if they are saying anything over an open mike," John said.  
  
"Alright," Pilot replied, not really understanding the 'open mike' comment.  
  
"Let's hear it."  
  
~~~  
  
"...you don't really think this will work do you?" a woman asked.  
  
"How am I suppose to know?" a male replied.  
  
"This was your damn idea," another male accused.  
  
"Then if it works, I expect you all to buy me drinks..."  
  
~~~  
  
John looked at Cassandra. She stared back at him, and he mouthed 'DK.' She nodded.  
  
~~~  
  
"...are we getting anything back?" another woman asked.  
  
"Shit, Boss, we don't even know if they are receiving it," a male exclaimed.  
  
"They probably got some advanced form of communication and aren't even picking this up," the first   
woman said morosely.  
  
"We aren't getting anything back," DK said, "yet."  
  
"How much longer should we continue to loop this before we try something else," the second woman   
asked.  
  
"Honestly, I don't know," DK replied.  
  
~~~  
  
Cassandra looked at John and nodded her head. John glanced at his friends before speaking.  
  
"I believe I can answer that."  
  
~~~  
  
"...who said that?" the second woman asked.  
  
"It wasn't anyone in this room," the first woman replied nervously.  
  
"I said that," the male voice replied. All was silent, no one spoke. "I'm surprised one of you   
hasn't spoken," the voice said some-what impatiently.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" the second woman asked.  
  
"No way in hell," DK said.  
  
"Ah, he speaks!" the voice said laughing.  
  
"DK, what the hell is going on?" the second woman asked.  
  
"I don't know, Umi, but that voice sounds an awful lot like John Crichton's."  
  
"John Crichton is dead," the first woman said.  
  
"No he's not," a female voice spoke.  
  
"Shit," DK breathed.  
  
"Remind me to punch you when I see you. That was a nasty comment to make about me... dork."  
  
"Cassandra Crichton?" Umi asked softly.  
  
"Ha, check that out! *My* voice is recognized faster than yours."  
  
"I've been gone longer."  
  
"That's a technicality."  
  
"God, it really is you two," DK said wonderingly.  
  
"That's you two orbiting us?" Umi asked.  
  
"Well, yeah, sort of," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Sort of?" DK asked.  
  
"We're on Moya, Talyn came along for the ride," John explained.  
  
"You realize we have no idea what you're talking about," DK said grinning.  
  
~~~  
  
D'Argo glanced at Aeryn and grinned. "Even Humans don't understand what he says."  
  
"Yeah, real funny, Big Guy," John said grinning at him.  
  
~~~  
  
The Humans on the ground had heard a guttural voice speaking but it wasn't in English... or   
any language from Earth. It sounded pissed. Then they had heard John's comment. There was silence,   
then: "...what was that?" DK asked.   
  
"Right, I forgot," John said softly.  
  
"So did I," Cassandra added.  
  
"Look," John said becoming serious. "Our friends came with us, and before you ask, no, they   
won't be coming down. Matter-of-fact, *we* won't be coming down... at least not yet."  
  
"What do you mean?" DK asked interrupting him.  
  
"Just what I said. Look at the moment Earth isn't a big target, but pretty soon it will   
be," John began.  
  
"A target?!" Umi gasped.  
  
"Yes, a target," Cassandra confirmed.  
  
"There is a huge war going on up here, and things are going to get worse very soon," John explained.  
  
~~~  
  
Silence met this statement. Cassandra wrung her hands. "We came for two reasons. One: to let you   
all know that we haven't kicked the bucket yet. Two: to warn you all and prepare you for what's   
going to happen... if you want our help."  
  
"It would probably be best for you to tell... whoever... that you've established contact, and who   
it is up here. Then we can set up a conference call or something so we can tell you what's been   
happening," John said sighing softly. "We'll call you back on this channel in two arns." John   
looked up at the clamshell. "Pilot, cut the transmission."  
  
~~~  
  
"Wait! John!" Static. "Shit!" DK looked around the room, "Anyone know how long an arn is?"  
  
"We'd better inform the President," Umi said and left the room to make the call.  
  
DK sat there in silence a moment before suddenly springing to life. "I got a call to make!" was his   
only explanation as he rushed from the room. 'I wish I could tell him in person,' DK thought   
grinning as he dialed the number of Colonel Jack Crichton.  
  
***  
  
"Is there any way to know if they are the true Commander Crichtons?" the President asked.  
  
"At the moment, no. If we can get them on the ground, we can run some tests on them... but they   
say they won't be coming down," said Dr. Steven Mayfield, scientist SETI.   
  
"We'd still have to capture them," the Defense Secretary added.  
  
"Don't you think we could give them the benefit of the doubt?" DK asked incredulous.  
  
"At least we should hear what they have to say before you decide if they should be   
autopsied," Umi exclaimed.  
  
"They said there is a war going on up there, and *we* are a target," DK reminded them.  
  
"They didn't say why..." the Defense Secretary began.  
  
"That is what the conference call is for!" DK exploded.  
  
"I think we should listen to them, but I also think we should find out if they are Commander   
John Crichton and Commander Cassandra Crichton," the President said, stopping the fight that   
was about to erupt.  
  
"Who do you want to be at the conference call?" the Defense Secretary asked.  
  
"Everyone in this room."  
  
DK glanced around the room. 'Shit,' he thought. Almost everyone wanted to capture John and   
Cassandra, and find out if they were aliens or Humans. 'I hope you guys know what you're   
doing...' he thought glancing up.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
I have no clue what DK's real name is so I gave him one... uhh... I don't own 'Independance Day,'   
hmmm... I think that's it for this chapter.  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	6. Of War and Politics

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 6: Of War and Politics  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
"Okay, guys, get lost," Cassandra said grinning, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.  
  
Everyone filed out of Command, Aeryn shared a brief kiss with John before leaving. The two   
Humans stood alone, staring after their friends. "Okay," John said. "Let's get started.   
Pilot, patch us through."  
  
"Yes, John."  
  
The image of Earth on the forward screen was replaced by a picture of a conference table, around   
which ten Humans sat. For the Humans, the blank screen in front of them was replaced with the   
image of two people, who looked like the missing astronauts, standing in a golden colored room,   
both behind some sort of panel. They shared a glance before turning towards the screen expectantly.  
  
DK glanced at the President who was still staring at the screen in silence. He looked back at   
the screen, John and Cassandra were both beginning to frown. "Don't I know you guys from   
somewhere," he said breaking the silence, smiling nervously.  
  
John and Cassandra grinned. "Don't know what you're talking about. I would never associate with   
someone of such obvious lesser intelligence," Cassandra said. DK and Umi were two of the few   
people who laughed.   
  
Cassandra glanced at John, her eyes saying what her words didn't not, "Tough crowd."  
  
"Why don't you tell us what it is you wanted to tell us," one of the men said.  
  
"Sure, Mr. ..."  
  
"Thomas Clark, Secretary of Defense."  
  
"Mr. Secretary. First off, when we disappeared, we didn't just vanish. We were sucked down a   
wormhole," John said.  
  
"A wormhole?" DK said astonished and then glanced contritely at Cassandra who smirked.  
  
"Yes. Now, to explain what's going on up here..." John said.  
  
"There are three major races at war right now. Their war is expanding to include everyone else,"   
Cassandra began.  
  
"The Scarrans, the Peacekeepers, and the Nebari."  
  
"All three are very bad. At the moment the Peacekeepers and the Nebari have formed an alliance of   
sorts. We all know it won't last, but we don't know who will come out on top."  
  
"The Peacekeepers are made up of a race called Sebacean. They look very much like us," John   
continued.  
  
"Like us?" Umi asked astonished. "Just like us?"  
  
John and Cassandra shared a glance. Cassandra tapped her com. "Aeryn, please come to Command."  
  
A few microts later, Aeryn came into the room, alone. She walked over to the two Humans and then   
glanced at the screen before turning her gaze on John and Cassandra. John looked at DK and said,   
"Meet Aeryn, DK."  
  
Aeryn looked around the table and found DK. "It is good to finally meet you," she said and   
inclined her head slightly.  
  
The Humans on Earth stared at Aeryn in awe. She looked Human but her language was full of odd   
clicks and definitely not from Earth. DK swallowed. "Hi."  
  
Aeryn smiled at his nervousness. Cassandra leaned over and whispered something to Aeryn, who   
nodded and left. John raised a brow in question. "You'll see," was Cassandra's response.  
  
A few microts later, Chiana walked into the room. She walked over to Cassandra and John and stared   
curiously at the screen, her head tilted in the manner that was so uniquely Chiana. "The Nebari,"   
Cassandra said grinning, "is one of the other races we told you about. This is Chiana."  
  
"Can I stay?" Chiana asked, not taking her eyes from the screen.  
  
"Why?" John asked curious.  
  
"Cause he's kind of cute."  
  
"Who?" Cassandra asked puzzled.  
  
Chiana pointed straight at DK, and Cassandra began laughing. The Humans were confused. The alien had   
spoken in a very guttural language and had pointed right at DK. "What did she say?" DK asked shifting   
uncomfortably.  
  
John grinned, "She thinks you're hot, man."  
  
DK blushed and Chiana grinned. "So can I stay?"  
  
"Nope. DK's hot bod isn't enough reason to stay, scat!" Cassandra said grinning.  
  
"Aw..." Chiana said and left the room.  
  
"Anyway, those are two of the races at war," John said trying to pull the conversation back on   
track. "The Nebari are out to mind cleanse the Universe, and the Peacekeepers just want to   
dominate the lesser races."  
  
"The Scarrans just want to obliterate everyone."  
  
"Everyone else is getting caught in the middle. At the moment, the Luxans are winning the fight to   
remove the Peacekeepers from their home-world, but the Delvians and the Hynerians are loosing badly."  
  
"The Zeneitan Pirates have been nearly wiped out, and the Sheyangs and the Tavleks are barely holding   
their own against the Scarrans... but that is more because the Scarrans are focused on the Peacekeepers   
than anything they are doing," Cassandra continued.  
  
"The Sebacean Royal Colonies are holding out, but it won't be much longer before their defenses fail.   
When that happens, whoever conquers them first will gain another tactical advantage."  
  
"The list goes on. The whole Universe is getting involved."  
  
"Why would they becoming here? Are we a tactical advantage?" one of the Humans asked, slightly fearful.  
  
"Depends on who gets here first," Cassandra replied.  
  
"If the Peacekeepers get here, they are going to either wipe you out, adapt your DNA to help them,   
conscript all the children, or use your scientists to help them develop new weapons," John explained.  
  
"If the Scarrans get here first, they will either use you as breeding stock, kill you, or use you   
to find out about wormhole technology," Cassandra continued.  
  
"If the Nebari get here first, they will mind cleanse you all and be done with it," John finished.  
  
"Are they looking for us?" DK asked quietly.  
  
John and Cassandra glanced at each other before nodding. "The Nebari aren't actively looking, and the   
Scarrans aren't putting much effort into it either. It's the Peacekeepers who are desperately   
trying to find you."  
  
"Why? What did you do?" the Secretary of Defense asked angrily.  
  
"You think they needed a reason?" John asked astonished. "The microt they found out you existed   
they began searching for you."  
  
"They stepped up their efforts when the war began... and because of Scorpius's... untimely...   
death," Cassandra added.  
  
"Who is Scorpius, and how did he die?" one of the women asked.  
  
"Peacekeeper scientist, half-Scarran, half-Sebacean, and all around bad guy," John replied.  
  
"He was their leading scientist developing wormhole technology. When he died and all of his   
work was destroyed, that left the Peacekeepers in a bad position."  
  
"The Scarrans outnumber the Peacekeepers... uh, what was the latest number from the front?"   
John asked turning to Cassandra.  
  
"I think it was 15 to 1... of course the Nebari outnumber the Scarrans..."  
  
"10 to 1."  
  
"Right, not that it does them much good."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"How did he die?" one of the men asked, noticing both had sidestepped the question.  
  
John stared directly at the man who asked. "I killed him."   
  
The table was silent in shock. DK's mouth was opening and closing but nothing was coming out.   
Finally he managed to spit out one word, "Why?"  
  
"There are many reasons... all of which I'm not discuss right now."  
  
"Case closed. Next topic," Cassandra said before someone could ask another question about   
Scorpius's death.  
  
Umi shifted uncomfortably, "How did you get that scar?"  
  
"Which scar?" Cassandra asked, then noticed Umi's gaze was on her face, "Oh, that scar." She ran   
a finger along the length of it. "A Peacekeeper gave it to me."  
  
"It's really dangerous out there isn't?" DK asked quietly.  
  
"Kill or be killed," John replied softly.  
  
For a short time, the Humans saw what it had been like for the lost astronauts reflected in their   
faces. Scars were not always visible. The President shifted slightly. He hadn't spoken once,   
he wanted to just watch and see what the supposed aliens would do. The two seemed to honestly be   
the missing astronauts. "How do we know you are who you say you are?"  
  
"What would it take to convince you, short of coming down to the planet?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Is there anything else?" the President countered.  
  
"What about a Q&A session?" John asked.  
  
"What would the questions be?" the President asked.  
  
"Get people who knew us together. Have them come up with a list of questions that the answers   
are only known to us and to them," John replied.  
  
"Fine, we'll try that and see what happens. When can we expect your next call?"  
  
"How long will it take it get the people together and come up with the questions?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Give us two days."  
  
"Alright, at this time, two days," John said nodding.  
  
"Oh, wait! Before we break communications. I'm assuming that you are probably going to get Laurie   
to come help. Can I request that you tape it?"  
  
"What?" Umi asked confused.  
  
"You know, tape it! I want to see what she looked like when you told her we were still alive,"   
Cassandra said chuckling evilly.  
  
DK laughed. "Got it, tape Laurie going ballistic," DK said pretending to scribble a memo.  
  
"That's not nice," John said grinning.  
  
"Shut-up or I won't let you watch it."  
  
"Lips are sealed."  
  
Cassandra laughed. "Pilot, cut transmission."  
  
"Yes, Cassandra... transmission cut."  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	7. Day in the Life

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 7: Day in the Life  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Chiana asked impatiently.  
  
"Nothing's wrong. Why do you think something is wrong?" Cassandra asked throwing a small   
bouncy ball against the wall and catching it.  
  
"You've been playing with that frelling 'bouncy ball' for over an arn without speaking."  
  
Cassandra caught the ball again and stared at Chiana. "That means something is wrong?"  
  
Chiana glared at her. "You know what I meant."   
  
Cassandra threw the ball again still looking at Chiana. She caught it and glanced down at   
it. "Bialar -- *Crais* and I... we..."  
  
"I know, you frelled him. So what's the problem?"  
  
Cassandra stared at her confused. "How did you know?"  
  
Chiana laughed, "I guess you were too *busy* to notice, but when you frelled, Talyn started   
firing his main cannon. Everyone was freaking out until Pilot said that he was firing   
because he was happy. Then something Zhaan said made us all realize what Talyn was so happy about."  
  
"At least Talyn is happy..."  
  
"What do you mean?" Chiana asked concerned.  
  
Cassandra blushed. "Afterwards, we fell asleep, or at least I did, but when I woke up he   
was gone. He went back to Talyn... he... we didn't talk... afterwards, so I don't... I don't know..."  
  
Chiana suddenly realized what her friend was attempting to say. "Oh. You wanted to know if   
he enjoyed himself."  
  
Cassandra blushed again. "Yeah..."  
  
"Well did you?"  
  
Cassandra's blush deepened. "Yeah..."  
  
"Then he probably did too."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well it's my experience that if the woman had a good time, the man had a *real* good time,"   
Chiana said wagging her brows. Cassandra smiled and blushed again. "Are all Humans as easily   
embarrassed about this as you?" Chiana asked curiously.  
  
"No, but someone in my situation would be." Cassandra noticed the perplexed look on her   
friend's face and began to explain. "See, my Mom raised me to be someone who waited until they   
were married before having sex. So, I was a virgin when I got blasted to the Uncharted   
Territories. I didn't have any experience... and I don't count my stay on the K'lar'in ship   
as experience, so technically, Bialar was my first."  
  
Chiana grinned in understanding. She was also pleased that Cassandra had been able to speak of   
the K'lar'in without flinching. "Are you going to sneak over to Talyn tonight?" Cassandra   
slowly began to smile, and the two conspirators began to plan her midnight flight.  
  
***  
  
"ONE... TWO... THREE..."  
  
"No peeking!"   
  
"FOUR... FIVE..."  
  
Soft girlish giggles filled the room. "Xhalax! Hide over there!"  
  
"SIX... no helping... SEVEN..."  
  
There was a rustling of covers and the sound of laughter and giggles.  
  
"EIGHT... NINE... TEN! Ready or not, here I come!" John uncovered his eyes and looked around   
the room. Aeryn sat on the bed grinning at him; she held Jack in her arms. "Hey, baby, you   
seen any monkeys around here?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen any monkeys," she replied and the mound under the covers beside her moved.  
  
John grinned. "I wonder where she could be..." he said loudly. He peered under the table.   
"Not under the table..." He looked at the mound under the covers. "You don't think she went out   
into the hall do you?"  
  
Aeryn laughed. "I'm fairly certain she's still in here." The mound giggled.  
  
"Come out, come out wherever you are," John called in a singsong voice. The sound of muffled giggles   
reached his ears. John walked over to one of the cabinets. "Not in here... Where can she be?"   
John walked over to the bed. "I know she's not hiding in the bed."   
  
He got on the bed and covered the mound with his body, trapping her under the covers as she   
squealed. He laughed and tickled her through the covers. She thrashed underneath the covers   
giggling. He stopped and pulled the covers off her. She grinned up at him. "Hi, Dad."  
  
"What are you doing in *my* bed?"  
  
She wiggled out from the rest of the covers and sat next to Aeryn. "I came to see Mommy." She   
turned to Aeryn and gave her best innocent smile. "Hi, Mom."  
  
Aeryn laughed. "Hi, Xhalax." She looked up at John. "I think she gets this from you."  
  
"What?" John asked.  
  
"This need to constantly say hello to everyone," Aeryn said smiling.  
  
John laughed. "Yeah, Cassandra use to do that all the time. Drove Laurie crazy. I thought it was   
funny and started doing it... until Mom told me Laurie would kill me if I didn't stop, and she'd help her."  
  
"Okay! My turn!" Xhalax said and bounded off the bed. She stood in the center of the room,   
covered her eyes, and began counting.  
  
John got off the bed and hid under the table. Aeryn laughed at him. "She'll find you there."  
  
"Shhh!"  
  
"FOUR... don't help him, Mom!"  
  
***  
  
"You are the people chosen to discover if John and Cassandra Crichton are truly the ones   
orbiting the Earth right now. Come up with questions that only they and you know the   
answers to." The man paused a moment, then nodded. "I'll leave you to it." He left the room.  
  
DK glanced around the table. Colonel Jack Crichton sat at the head of the table, on his right   
was Laura Crichton; DK sat to his left. Dr. Umi Kanzaki sat beside him, and Alex sat across   
from her beside Laura. It was up to the five of them to prove that it really was John and Cassandra.  
  
"We'll make a list for each of them," DK began. "It doesn't matter if the questions are   
personal, just make sure that only you and John, or you and Cass, know the answers."  
  
"I'll write them down," Umi said and reached for a pen and paper.  
  
"Who wants to start?" Jack asked.  
  
"Ask them who really set the backyard on fire," Laurie said and grinned evilly.  
  
DK grimaced and glanced at Jack. "Can't you just accept blame and move on?"  
  
Umi snickered and wrote the question. She looked up, "Who's list should that be on?"  
  
"Both," Laurie replied.  
  
"I've got one," Umi said. "Name of the first guy Cassandra slept with."  
  
"My God, I don't want to be there when you ask that question," Jack said and covered his face   
with his hands, grinning.  
  
"I wouldn't mind knowing," Laurie said primly.  
  
DK rolled his eyes. "Ask John where we went the night of high school graduation."  
  
"Hold your horses... high school graduation, okay, next question."  
  
"Ask Cassandra what the first star I ever pointed out to her was," Jack said.  
  
{2 hours later}  
  
The group only had about seven questions for each of the astronauts because they ended up   
reminiscing after every question. Alex still hadn't added a question and was completely not in   
the spirit of things. Laurie continued to make biting remarks, but that was normal and therefore   
expected. DK, Jack, and Umi kept up a steady stream of memories that had the three laughing so   
hard they were crying.  
  
"Will you *please* get a hold of yourselves!" Laurie hissed after another bout of laughter.  
  
"Sorry," Umi said still laughing slightly. "Hmm... next question..." she said and started laughing   
again. This set DK and Jack of again.  
  
"Imbeciles!" Laurie groaned.  
  
"I have one," Alex said quietly.  
  
The laughter calmed down to three grins, and DK said, "Shoot."  
  
"Ask John what the last thing I ever said to him was."  
  
"No offense, but do you think he will remember that?" Umi asked.  
  
Alex was quiet a moment. "I've spent the last nine years regretting it. I just need to know..."  
  
"Alright," Umi said and wrote down the question.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
i wasn't sure about how long Alex and John were split when Farscape slid down the wormhole so i  
made it a year, hence the nine year statement. what did u think of hide and seek, i thought it  
was CUTE!!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	8. A Little Thing Called Politics

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 8: A Little Thing Called Politics  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
  
{day of Q&A session}  
  
"So?" Chiana asked as she walked down the hall to Command with Cassandra.  
  
"So?" Cassandra mocked.  
  
"So tell me what happened!"  
  
"Are you wanting me to tell you my sex stories?"  
  
"Cassandra!"  
  
"Wait, let me guess, hearing about it is the next best thing to doing it?" Chiana   
groaned in frustration, and Cassandra laughed. "Well..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Since I have to confide in *somebody* I guess... I can tell you later."  
  
"Later? How much later?"  
  
Cassandra laughed as they entered Command. "Later."  
  
"What's later?" John asked.  
  
Cassandra blushed. "Uh, nothing."  
  
"Right. Are you ready?" he asked dismissing the previous thought from his mind.  
  
"Yes, reporting for interrogation, sir!" Cassandra said and gave a mock salute.   
Chiana whacked her in the arm. "Ow!"  
  
"Pilot, please call 'em up," John said.  
  
"Yes, John. Sending signal... now."  
  
The forward screen was once again filled with the image of the conference room.   
This time, around the table sat the five questioners, Thomas Clark: the Secretary   
of Defense, and the still unidentified President. (a/n: that means, you know he   
is the President, but they don't)  
  
For the Humans, the screen filled with the image of the same room as before. John   
and Cassandra were standing behind the same panel. The gray alien, Chiana of the   
Nebari, was present as well as the Human-looking Sebacean woman, Aeryn.  
  
"Dad!" John and Cassandra spoke simultaneously, each starting forward slightly.   
Jack Crichton smiled, unable to speak, and nodded. John and Cassandra's eyes were   
moist with unshed tears of joy when they turned their gaze to Thomas Clark. John   
ignored the presence of his ex-girlfriend.  
  
"I will read the questions. If you answer incorrectly, the person who submitted it   
will call you on it," he said. He waited until they both nodded in agreement. "Who   
set fire to the backyard?"  
  
John and Cassandra grinned sheepishly and glanced at their father. "We did, with   
DK's assistance," John admitted.  
  
"And then we blamed it on Laurie since we knew three against one would mean she'd   
take the fall for it," Cassandra added.  
  
"See! I told you it wasn't my fault!" Laurie said glaring at her father. Jack   
just laughed.  
  
"Who was the first man Cassandra ever slept with?" Thomas Clark asked slightly   
embarrassed to be asking.  
  
Cassandra turned pale. "I can't believe you are asking that..." Though she had   
recently given herself to Crais, the first thought that popped in her mind was of   
the K'lar'in.  
  
"Please answer the question," the President prompted.  
  
"I was a virgin when I left Earth." Chiana placed a hand on her shoulder, and   
Cassandra shot her a look of thanks. Chiana had realized instantly what Cassandra   
had thought of.  
  
"Correct... whoa wait a minute... say that again," Umi said astonished. Cassandra   
remained silent, but her cheeks deepened in remembered shame.  
  
"You had sex with an alien!" Laurie asked.  
  
John, Aeryn, and Chiana all shot angry looks at Laurie. "She was raped, you unfeeling   
trelk!" Aeryn sputtered outraged.  
  
The Humans got the definite impression that the crew of Moya was not happy with Laurie's   
reaction. "What did she say?" DK asked looking at the murderous expression on Aeryn's face.   
  
Jack, however, was looking at his daughter. "What happened?" he asked softly. The   
Humans in the room looked at him in confusion.  
  
John glanced over at Cassandra, since she wasn't going to respond, he replied for   
her. "She was captured, tortured, and raped." Cassandra shook slightly and wrapped   
her arms around herself. Chiana put an arm around her waist and hugged her friend.  
  
The Humans were silent. They hadn't been expecting that. "I'm sorry, Cass," Laurie   
said softly.  
  
John clenched his fists in remembered anger and his jaw tightened. "Ask your next question."   
  
Aeryn placed a hand on his arm, her anger slightly abated. "Calm down, John. They   
didn't know what that question would cause."  
  
John covered her hand with his and nodded slightly. He looked back up at the group   
still sitting around the table. "Please continue," he said somewhat calmer.  
  
Alex stared at their joined hands as the questions continued. "The night of high school   
graduation DK and I went to Old Man Murphy's field, it's when we came up with the idea   
of Farscape."  
  
"When I was six, Dad pointed out the North Star to me, and told me it's name was Polaris."  
  
Thomas Clark put aside the list for Cassandra, and looked at John's: only one question   
left. "What was the last thing Alex ever said to you, John?"  
  
Aeryn's relaxed position vanished in an instant. Her eyes narrowed and she stared at   
the woman she now knew was Alex. Her grip on John's arm tightened for a microt,   
then relaxed.  
  
Alex looked at the dark-haired woman beside John. Her possessive manner quickly   
answered the doubts she had. John was truly lost to her. John had never looked at her   
the way he was now looking at Aeryn. Alex stood. "The answer is no longer important.   
I don't need to hear it to know that is John." She smiled faintly at Aeryn, then   
glanced around the room. "Good day." She left the small conference room with dry eyes   
and a proud stance.  
  
Aeryn watched her go and suddenly felt sorry for the Human woman. They both knew   
exactly what she lost. She glanced at her husband. John was looking down, and Aeryn   
knew she wasn't the only one who felt pity for Alex.  
  
"Do you believe us now?" Cassandra asked quietly.  
  
"I do," Jack said instantly. DK and Umi immediately seconded that. Laurie reluctantly   
agreed.  
  
Thomas Clark glanced at the President. "Sir?"  
  
"I will reserve my opinion for now." When John started to protest, he held up a hand.   
"However, I believe that this is all we can do at the moment. Unless you are willing   
to come to the surface?" Both shook their heads. "I didn't think so." He was silent   
a moment. "How do you want to proceed from here?"  
  
"We'd like to give you some more information about the war and of course upgrade your   
technology. However, we'd also like to actually see our friends and family," John began.  
  
"We propose that they fly up to the Space Station, and from there, we'll pick them up,"   
Cassandra continued.  
  
"At that time, the first few scientists are welcome to also come aboard, and we'll begin   
teaching them about this technology," John finished.  
  
The President was silent a moment. "All right. I can accept that. We will select   
three scientists and send them up with whomever you want."  
  
"The people in the room with you will more than suffice," Cassandra replied.  
  
He glanced at the four remaining questioners. "Fine."  
  
Cassandra raised a brow and glanced at John. He had the same bemused expression on his   
face. 'Just who was this guy?' She looked back at the man in question. "Who are you?"  
  
It was obvious the man was shocked. Thomas Clark stared at them a moment with an expression   
that said, 'You've got to be kidding me.' The man cleared his throat and straightened.   
"My name is Adam Walker; I'm the President of the United States."  
  
Cassandra and John immediately snapped to attention, it was too ingrained not to. "Sir,   
I apologize," Cassandra began. "We had no idea..."  
  
President Walker laughed and cut her off. "No, it's quite all right. To be honest, this   
makes me believe you more than answering a few questions... though I still chose to remain   
cautious," he said sobering at the end of his statement.  
  
Aeryn and Chiana stared at John and Cassandra, neither had relaxed; suddenly they both   
saluted. President Walker returned their salute and nodded. They dropped their arms,   
though they still did not relax. "Pilot, end transmission."  
  
When the screen faded, they both slumped. "Shit," Cassandra gasped and placed a hand over   
her rapidly beating heart. "That was unexpected!" Her surprise and relief were so great,   
she had slipped back into Earth curse words.  
  
"Wow," John replied, completely understanding.  
  
Aeryn raised a brow. "I have never seen either of you do something like that," she remarked.  
  
"That was the frelling President!" Cassandra replied.  
  
"He some kind of a leader?" Chiana asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. And not just any leader, he's the leader of one of the most powerful countries   
on Earth," John replied.  
  
"On top of that, our country: the United States." Cassandra shook her head. "Whoa."  
  
"If he is your leader, why didn't you recognize him?" Aeryn asked confused.  
  
"That's a little thing I like to call politics," John replied. "Come on, this could take awhile."   
He put an arm around her waist, and they walked out of Command to Zhaan and Stark's quarters   
where there children were.   
  
Chiana turned to Cassandra. "I'm not really interested in that. What I want to know is   
what the past two days on Talyn were like."  
  
Cassandra blushed. "Okay, but I don't want everyone and their Mama to hear about it so   
let's go somewhere where no one will be able to."  
  
"I know just the place," Chiana said grinning and lead Cassandra to the Starburst chamber.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	9. Love is in the Air

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 9: Love is in the Air  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well, first off, does anyone besides Pilot know I left?"  
  
"No. Rygel might, but I don't think so."  
  
Cassandra grinned. "Good, so our plan worked."  
  
"Yep," Chiana said, a similar grin crossed her face.  
  
"Okay. I told Pilot to make sure that Crais didn't know I was coming, but when he   
told Talyn's Pilot, she started to refuse. Talyn intervened though and agreed not   
to tell. I got the impression he was happy to be helping me sneak on board," Cassandra   
said grinning. "Talyn's Pilot told me that Crais was asleep in his quarters, so when   
I got there I didn't have to worry about finding him." Cassandra blushed slightly.   
"I snuck into his quarters and stripped. I climbed in bed with him and fell asleep   
in his arms."  
  
"You went to *sleep*?" Chiana asked confused.  
  
"Yes. It was actually really nice, because he woke up first."  
  
^FLASHBACK BEGINS^  
  
Crais was dreaming of *her*. He dreamed she still slept in his arms, that he was free   
to run a hand down her back, to feel her soft curves pressed against him. He opened   
his eyes when he heard a soft feminine sigh; Cassandra was wrapped around him in   
slumber. He started to pull away in surprise, but stopped when she snuggled closer,   
still deep in sleep. Her movements were causing his arousal to flare, and a soft gasp   
escaped his lips.  
  
'She snuck off Moya to be with you,' Talyn's voice echoed in his mind.  
  
Crais gazed at her face, so peaceful in sleep. He brushed aside a strand of hair   
revealing the long scar that stretched from her forehead to her cheek. He traced it   
first with gentle fingertips, then his lips; slowly waking her with his tender touches.   
Her eyes began to open, and he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. His hands caressed   
her body, and a soft sigh escaped her when his lips traced the column of her throat.   
Their loving was tender, without the desperation of their first. When the heights of   
pleasure had been reached, they floated down into sleep.  
  
^FLASHBACK ENDS^  
  
Cassandra blushed as she continued to tell of her secret stay aboard Talyn. She omitted   
the details of her 'encounters' with Crais, much to Chiana's disappointment. They had   
spent the first day in bed for the most part; Talyn sent in a DRD with food when they grew   
hungry. The second day they had done maintenance repairs and sat on Talyn's Terrace talking.  
  
"You know what though, the entire time I was there, I kept catching him looking at me."  
  
"Well, of course he was looking at you," Chiana said dryly.  
  
"No I mean, he had this odd look on his face. It only happened when he thought I wasn't   
looking at him."  
  
^FLASHBACK BEGINS^  
  
Crais watched Cassandra. She was sitting on the floor, legs out in front of her and   
crossed at the ankles, leaning back on her hands, and staring at Earth through the window   
of the Terrace. She reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. His heart   
jumped as more of her captivating profile was revealed. She glanced at him, and flashed the   
patent Crichton smile; the one that could make the recipient almost giddy with pleasure.   
  
He almost said it. He almost said the three words that meant so much to him. He couldn't   
tell her. Not when they were about to plunge right into the war. With the information   
that John and Cassandra unlocked, the Peacekeepers, the Nebari, and the Scarrans would no   
longer be a threat, but it would still take time to fight them. They both could still die   
before it was over. No. It wasn't the time to tell her. When the war was over, when there   
was some measure of safety for them, then he would tell her. Until then, it would be his secret.  
  
Cassandra glanced at him again, she frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, nothing is wrong." He smiled at her and stood. He reached down and helped her up.  
  
"Are you sure nothing is wrong," she asked with a sly smile, and brushed her body against   
his. He leaned close and captured her lips in a hungry kiss.  
  
^FLASHBACK ENDS^  
  
Cassandra scowled. "I don't know what he is thinking about when he looks at me like   
that..." She looked up at Chiana. "I'm worried."  
  
Chiana frowned, "Why 'cause he looked at you funny?"  
  
Cassandra laughed, though it seemed almost forced. "No. Chiana... I think I might be in love   
with him."  
  
"That's a good thing... isn't it?"  
  
"What if he doesn't feel the same?"  
  
Chiana laughed. "He must be in love with you. Why else would he put up with your dren?"  
  
Cassandra laughed slightly; she fell silent. "Do you really think so?"  
  
Chiana stared at her friend. "I *know* so," she said seriously.  
  
***  
  
"No one appreciates me!" Rygel complained. John and Aeryn ignored him. "Do you know what that   
crazy Banik accused me of?" He followed them as they walked down the hall to repair a conduit   
in the neural cluster. "He said I was trying to steal--"  
  
"Okay, Sparky!" John interrupted. "We know." He stopped and turned around to face the Hynerian   
still following them. Aeryn stopped and glared at Rygel. "And unless you want to help us, GO AWAY!"  
  
"How rude! I am a dominar!"  
  
"You're going to be a dead dominar if you don't leave us alone," Aeryn said coldly.  
  
Rygel floated up out of reach. "You just want me to leave so you can mate! I want you to tell   
that Banik to leave me alone!"  
  
John jumped up, trying to reach Rygel, who was laughing at his attempts. John reached for Aeryn   
and grabbed her by the waist. "What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.  
  
"Grab him." He lifted her up, and Aeryn automatically reached for Rygel.  
  
Rygel screamed as Aeryn's hand came close to touching his throne sled. He took off down the   
corridor, away from them. John laughed and lowered Aeryn, who used the opportunity to slid   
her body against his. John was not laughing when her feet touched the floor. Aeryn, however,   
was grinning. She backed up a step, turned, and walked down the hall. John let out a heavy   
breath. "Wow."   
  
He watched her for a moment; she stopped and flashed another smile over her shoulder. John   
took off after her. When she heard him coming, she sped up. Soon the two were racing through   
Moya's corridors, laughing. John caught her and pulled her into one of the empty cells.   
Without bothering to speak, he kissed her hungrily. She responded, matching his desire with   
her own. She reached for his shirt, and pulled it off of him, giving a cry of delight when   
her hands encountered his flesh. He moaned in her mouth as her hands caressed his chest. He   
pulled off her shirt, and she gasped when his hands touched her breasts. She pushed him down   
to the floor; it would be quite awhile before they repaired the broken conduit.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
Sorry it took so long to get this out, I've had finals so things were a little crazy. I've  
still got one more, and my brain might need time to recover so it might be two days until the  
next chapter goes out. I meant to write a note in the last chapter about finals but forgot,  
sorry! the above reason is also why this chapter is shorter than normal  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	10. The Plan

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 10: The Plan  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{day after Q & A}  
  
"Dr. Kanzaki, Dr. Kirkland, Col. Crichton, and Ms. Crichton, let me introduce you   
to the people you will be going up with," Secretary of Defense Thomas Clark said as   
the five walked to the launch pad where five people stood waiting for them.   
  
Thomas Clark stopped in front of the five strangers. "Commander William Knapp and   
Lt. Matthew Reed will be your two man flight crew." The two men nodded at them.   
"Dr. Lindsey Smith is a biologist and medical researcher; she'll be going up to find   
out what type of medicines the aliens use." A skinny blond woman smiled at them. "I   
believe you know Dr. Richard Price, an astrophysicist." A middle-aged black man   
flashed DK and Umi a happy smile, and they laughed. DK had been worried that they   
would send someone who was xenophobic. Dr. Price, however, was as alien happy as they   
come. "Lastly, Dr. Dustin Mayfield, another physicist." A tall, well-built,   
middle-aged, black-haired man nodded slightly. "We are skipping most of the pre-flight   
checks, so each of you needs to report immediately to the examination area. Flight   
time is in two hours."  
  
***  
  
"Is there anything you need us to send up with them?" Thomas Clark asked.  
  
"Pizza," Cassandra replied instantly.  
  
"Beer," John added.  
  
"Peanut Butter."  
  
"Chocolate," they sighed together.  
  
Thomas Clark grinned at the antics of the two astronauts. "We'll send up some food   
stuff."  
  
"Ice cream!"  
  
"Strawberries!"  
  
***  
  
"You going to fly over and pick them up?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm not going to get out, and I'm not going to open the door to the front   
of the pod," John replied. "So they won't even know it's me flying."  
  
"Is that such a good idea?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" John asked crawling out from underneath the ship he was working on.  
  
"I don't know, I'd just feel better if someone other than one of us was flying."  
  
John frowned. "Hand me that, will you." He ducked back under and held out a hand.   
Cassandra placed the requested tool in it. "Thanks." Only the sounds of John's tinkering   
under the ship could be heard for awhile. Cassandra shifted her weight in unease. The   
sounds stopped. "How do you want to do it then?" John finally asked.  
  
"I figured we could ask Crais to fly over in one of Talyn's transport pods. Since there   
are guns in them, no one would try to take it over and capture the pilot. Then Crais could   
bring them over here, drop them off, and go back to Talyn. No one would ever see the pilot,   
and we wouldn't have to worry about one of us getting captured or hurt."  
  
"Have you talked about this with Crais?"  
  
"No, I figured I should talk to you first."  
  
"I think we should do it."  
  
Cassandra turned around and saw Aeryn leaning up against the ship behind her. John climbed   
out from under the ship he was working on. "Why?" he asked her.  
  
"Because I think it's a better idea than yours. How were you planning on getting around   
them and over to us, if one of them turned out to be hostile?"  
  
"I think you are both being paranoid," John replied. "But, I suppose I don't have a choice   
in the matter?"  
  
"No," Aeryn replied. She walked over to him, taking hold of his face with her hands, forcing   
him to look at her. "Please, don't be mad."  
  
John sighed and rested his forehead on hers. "I'm not mad."  
  
Cassandra smiled slightly at them. "I'll go talk to Crais." She left them standing in the   
bay, still leaning on each other.  
  
***  
  
"This is the song that doesn't end! Yes, it goes on and on my friend!"  
  
"Zhaan! Do something!" Jool yelled.  
  
"Some people started singing it!"  
  
"I can't do anything!" she shouted covering her ears.  
  
"Not knowing what it was and they'll continue singing it forever just because!"  
  
"HELP!" Jool screamed.  
  
"This is the song that doesn't end!"  
  
"Will you all shut-up!" D'Argo roared.  
  
Xhalax laughed and started skipping around D'Argo while she sang. Stark sat at the table   
singing while he waited for Chiana to finish. They had been gathering for the mid-day meal,   
when Xhalax decided to teach Stark a song that Cassandra had taught her. Now the two were   
shouting it at the top of their lungs. Chiana was cooking and humming along with them.  
  
"I'm going to kill Cassandra," D'Argo said darkly.  
  
"Not if I get there first," Zhaan replied.  
  
"SOME PEOPLE STARTED SINGING IT!" Xhalax yelled especially loud.  
  
John and Aeryn walked in unnoticed in all the noise. "HEY, HEY, HEY!" John shouted, bringing the   
noise level down to silence. "What is going on in here?"   
  
Xhalax looked up at her parents innocently. "Nothing. I just taught Uncle Stark a new song."  
  
"Where did you learn it?" John asked. "No wait, what am I saying. Cassandra is the Queen   
of Annoying Songs."  
  
"Where is Jack?" Aeryn asked worried when she didn't spot her child.  
  
"Rygel took him out of here when the singing first began," Zhaan said tiredly and sat beside   
Stark who she shot a glare at. She tapped her com. "Rygel, it's safe to come back now."  
  
"The frelling noise has stopped?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"Yes," she replied.  
  
"We'll be right there." His com clicked off.   
  
A few microts later, Rygel came in with Jack on his lap. The baby was cooing happily, he   
had quite enjoyed the ride. Aeryn picked him up and shot a reproachful look at Xhalax, who   
suddenly realized she wouldn't be getting out of this one.  
  
"I'm sorry," Xhalax said softly.  
  
John sighed, and Xhalax eyes lit, perhaps there was hope after all. "You are forbidden to   
sing that song around people who might be offended," Aeryn said before John could forgive   
their precocious daughter. Xhalax scowled; Mom just had to ruin it.  
  
Cassandra walked in at that point. She was greeted with a number of yells, "YOU!"  
  
"Whoa, hold up! What did I do?"  
  
***  
  
By the time the crew had finished the mid-day meal, the yelling had completed and it was   
discovered that not only had Cassandra taught Xhalax 'the Song That Doesn't End,' she had   
also taught her 'the Eeiner Meiner Miner Moe song' and 'the Skinamerinky Dinky Dink song.'   
(a/n: I have no clue how to spell the titles of these songs, I just know how to sing 'em   
and that they're annoying, lol) After the final recriminations had past, the topic of   
discussion instantly became the soon-to-be-visitors.  
  
"How will you tell them about Xhalax and Jack?" Zhaan asked.  
  
"Tell who about me?" Xhalax asked.  
  
Cassandra put a finger over her lips and winked at Xhalax. This was the signal for 'secret.'   
Xhalax immediately quieted and listened intently to the conversation.  
  
"I want to tell Dad and DK first. Depending on how they react..." John said and pushed his   
cleared plate away from him so he could rest his elbows on the table.  
  
"Until then, we don't want anyone to know anything about the relationships aboard ship. As   
far as they are concerned, we are all friends and no one knows what a baby is," Cassandra   
added. D'Argo looked at her with the 'you have to be kidding me' expression. "That was   
a joke," she clarified.  
  
"Even our marriage?" Jool asked gesturing between herself and D'Argo.  
  
"Yep, for the time being, anyway," Cassandra said.  
  
"We just want to make sure that no one gets hurt," John emphasized.  
  
"There is a craft leaving the surface," Pilot's voice broke into the discussion.  
  
"That would be our guests," John said.  
  
"Tell Crais to get ready. As soon as we get the signal from them, he'll need to go pick   
them up," Cassandra added.  
  
"Done," Pilot replied after a microt.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	11. Introductions Begin

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 11: Introductions Begin  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
The alien ship docked with the station as the Humans on board watched in awe. Major   
Jennifer Stone gave the go ahead to open the hatch to the alien ship. She was in   
charge of the International Space Station and had been receiving orders on this event   
for the past six hours. No mistakes would be tolerated.  
  
"We will not be seeing the pilot of this craft," she told the anxious crew. Moans of   
disappointment filled the small bay. "Quiet," she said swiftly. Her staff grew   
silent. "Load the ship, and don't touch ANYTHING." She gestured for the crew to begin   
loading. "Don't go near the pilot's door. The ship is armed and will fire without   
hesitation on anyone that approaches the pilot," she cautioned.  
  
She glanced at Dr. Kirkland. "I don't know if I envy you, or am relieved I'm not in   
your position."  
  
DK looked at her startled. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You get to meet someone, more than someone, you get to meet *many* someones that   
aren't Human." She paused as he began to grasp what she was getting at. "But think   
of everything that can go wrong."  
  
"I trust John and Cassandra," DK said firmly.  
  
"That wasn't what I was talking about." She smiled slightly at his confused   
expression. "You are naïve. You must be crazy if you think those scientists you are   
bringing with you aren't going to cross the line and offend someone. I've heard of   
that Dr. Dustin Mayfield, you need to watch him. He would have been the last person I   
picked for this mission. Don't trust him."  
  
DK stared at her in dawning horror. "What do you know?"  
  
"Just that you shouldn't trust him. Watch your back, Dr. Kirkland." She turned back   
to her crew loading the ship. "Move it people!" She pushed away from the wall she   
had been leaning on, then turned. "Go get your people; they are almost done." DK   
started to leave the bay. "And Dr. Kirkland." DK turned back. "Good luck."  
  
DK stared at her a moment before turning and exiting the bay. Major Jennifer Stone   
moved over to her crew to watch the final packages and equipment load onto the ship.   
"Clear the bay," she said when they finished. She didn't have long to wait until DK   
returned with his fellow travelers. They boarded in nervous silence. Jennifer sealed   
the hatch after them, then stood at the small porthole and watched the transport   
leave. "Good luck to us all," she whispered.  
  
***  
  
John, Aeryn, Cassandra, and Chiana stood waiting in the docking bay as the transport   
landed. Each of them held steady hands over their pulse pistols, ready to pull them   
out at a moment's notice. The door to the transport opened, and they waited for the   
first person to appear. It was Col. Jack Crichton.  
  
"Dad!" John and Cassandra yelled.  
  
Jack grinned when he saw them and the three met halfway. They were laughing and   
crying as they hugged. DK came out next and immediately crashed the group hug. Umi   
came out and pounced on Cassandra. Laurie exited the transport with all the dignity   
she could muster. She calmly walked to the rambunctious group and stopped in front   
of them. John and Cassandra grinned at her.  
  
"Oh, come on Laurie, lighten up" DK said laughing.  
  
John didn't give her a chance to respond by pulling her into a crushing hug. Cassandra   
joined in, and Laurie surprised them all by bursting into tears. "I missed you both!"   
she sobbed.  
  
They all looked up as the three scientists exited. "We got to unload the transport,"   
Cassandra said wiping away the tears still streaming down her face.  
  
"Right," John said wiping away his own tears. "Come on, before anything else can   
happen, we got unload whatever you all brought."  
  
The Humans quickly unloaded the ship while Aeryn and Chiana remained still unnoticed   
by the entrance. Once the transport was unloaded, Cassandra commed Pilot and told   
him to tell Crais to go. The transport lifted off and left the hanger much to the   
surprise of Moya's guests.  
  
"That wasn't your ship?" DK asked.  
  
"That was one of Talyn's transport pods," John replied.  
  
Cassandra glanced over at Aeryn and Chiana and gestured for them to come closer.   
"Introductions will be the first order of business."  
  
Moya's guests stepped back slightly in surprise as the two women approached. Since   
Earth had seen them over the comms, their appearance wasn't a big surprise, precisely   
why they were the only ones greeting the Humans. John and Cassandra stepped over to them.   
  
"Officer Aeryn Sun, Sebacean, former Peacekeeper and Chiana of the Nebari," John   
introduced them. "This is my Dad, DK, my sister Laurie, Cassandra's friend Umi Kanzaki,   
and I recognize Dr. Richard Price." John pointed out each of the Humans as he said   
their names.  
  
"This is Dr. Lindsey Smith and Dr. Dustin Mayfield: medical researcher and physicist,   
respectively," Dr. Price replied.  
  
"If you'll grab your bags, we'll take you to your quarters first. We'll move the   
equipment and supplies afterwards," Cassandra said. The Humans picked up a bag   
each, except Laurie, who had two.  
  
John and Cassandra led the bunch, followed by Jack, DK, and Umi. Laurie and Dr.   
Smith were behind them, and Dr. Price and Dr. Mayfield were behind them. Chiana   
and Aeryn took up the rear, watching the Humans to make sure nothing would happen.   
  
As they walked, John began explaining a bit about Moya. "Moya is a living ship,   
a leviathan..."  
  
"How many are living on the ship right now?" Umi asked after awhile, curious.  
  
"Thirteen, no well technically fourteen," he replied thinking of Jool's pregnancy.  
  
"This huge ship and there are only fourteen of you, technically?" DK asked amazed.  
  
"Sometimes this ship can seem really small," Cassandra said grinning. "And really crowded."  
  
"This is where we all have our living quarters," John said stopping at the beginning   
of the hall. He began walking again. "There are places all over this ship you are not   
allowed to go, here are the first few. Do not go into someone's quarters without their   
permission." He began pointing out doors, though he did not say any names. He came up   
to his and Aeryn's quarters. "These are my quarters," he commented as he passed.  
  
John passed two more doors and then stopped. "Dad, these will be your quarters." John   
showed him how to open the door, and Jack walked in and dropped his bag on the bed.   
"We'll be back as soon as we finish taking everyone to their quarters." John glanced   
over as seven DRDs came into view. "Each of you will be assigned a DRD. They will be   
following you, not just for our protection, but for yours as well."  
  
"Also, during the sleep cycle, you will be locked in your quarters. If there is a   
problem, tell the DRD and we'll come," Cassandra added.  
  
"You are going to lock us up?" Dr. Mayfield asked offended.  
  
"Until we can be sure of you, absolutely," Cassandra replied without missing a beat.  
  
"Moving on," John said gesturing for the group to begin moving again. "We'll be   
right back," he told his father.   
  
John, Cassandra, Aeryn, and Chiana escorted each of the Humans to their quarters,   
leaving them with their assigned DRDs and locking them in. They would return to gather   
everyone up as soon as went over the packages the Humans had brought. Of course the   
Humans didn't know that D'Argo, Zhaan, and Jool had begun doing that the microt they   
left the bay. The purpose behind separating the Humans and locking them up was to by   
time to introduce Jack and DK to the idea of John and Aeryn's marriage and parenthood.  
  
After securing the last Human, the four returned to DK's quarters. John opened the   
door and DK stood up from his position on the bed. John was slightly nervous as he   
said, "Come with me." Next they went to Jack's quarters and retrieved him. The four   
belonging to Moya were silent in their anxiety, causing Jack and DK to become slightly   
frightened. They walked to the central chamber where Rygel and Stark watched over   
Xhalax and baby Jack.   
  
They walked in to find Rygel cooing over Jack, and Xhalax and Stark singing softly.   
Jack and DK were stunned to see the two children. Xhalax glanced up and grinned.   
"Daddy!" she yelled and hopped up to run to John. "Uncle Stark taught me a new song,"   
she said as John picked her up and set her on his hip. Aeryn walked in and picked up   
Jack, speaking softly to Rygel for a moment before looking up at the shell-shocked   
Humans. Cassandra and Chiana walked in and sat down next to Stark. John turned   
around to face his father and his best friend.  
  
Jack and DK hadn't understood most of what the little girl had said, but one word had   
been very clear, "Daddy?" DK squeaked.  
  
John met his gaze calmly. "Yes, this is my daughter, Xhalax."  
  
"Dad? Who are they?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"That's my Dad, your Grandfather and your Uncle DK," he explained patiently, also   
giving his father and best friend more time to comprehend what was happening.  
  
"Who is the mother?" DK asked still off-balance.  
  
Aeryn walked to John and stood beside him. "This is my wife, Aeryn, and our son...   
Jack," John said and put his free arm around Aeryn's waist.  
  
Jack and DK stared stunned once again. Jack was the first to break out of the daze.   
He stepped forward so he was facing Aeryn. "Welcome to the family, daughter," he said   
softly and placed a kiss on her cheek. Aeryn stood frozen; she had no idea what to   
expect from this meeting, but in her wildest dreams, she never thought she'd be accepted   
so quickly. She smiled, suddenly relieved.  
  
"Grandpa?" Xhalax questioned.  
  
Jack looked over at her. "What did she say?" he asked.  
  
Cassandra grinned. "Frell, I just lost 50 credits."  
  
"Why?" Stark asked.  
  
"I said Xhalax would be speaking English, but since Dad can't understand her, she is   
obviously speaking Sebacean."  
  
"Who did you loose it to?" Chiana asked.  
  
"D'Argo."  
  
John laughed. "She said 'Grandpa.'"  
  
DK suddenly grinned. "I can't believe you're married." He laughed and quickly walked   
over to Aeryn. "Can I hold him?"   
  
Aeryn carefully placed baby Jack in DK's arms. "Wow," he looked up at Jack. "He   
looks kind of like you, Colonel."  
  
"He looks like John and his father," Aeryn said proudly, and John blushed and grinned.  
  
"Okay, tell me how you all understand each other, 'cause I can't figure it out," DK said   
laughing.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
What i decided was that Xhalax speaks a little of every language. i mean think about it,  
when you're a kid first learning to talk, the way you learn is by someone saying, 'say...' so  
if Xhalax grew up with a mixture of races like is present on Moya, she is going to have learned  
words in each of the languages, get what i'm saying? this is going to be explained to the  
crew in the next chapter so it should be interesting trying to see if Cassandra can get out  
of paying D'Argo 50 credits since technically Xhalax does speak English, sorta, lol  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	12. What's in the flat box?

here is all of chapter 12 and i'm sorry about the wait! tell me how ya like it, k?  
  
  
  
Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 12: What's in the flat box?  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
"Ouch," DK said as the DRD injected him with translator microbes. "How long will it take   
to work?" He glanced over as Jack let out a surprised yelp when the DRD injected him.  
  
"Shouldn't be too long," Cassandra replied.  
  
Baby Jack began to whimper, and Aeryn stood up. "I'm going to go feed him," she said.  
  
"Want some company?" John asked.  
  
"Stay with your father, John. You have a lot to talk about," she replied.  
  
"Cool!" DK said. "I understood her." Aeryn smiled at him and left the room just as Jack's   
whimpers became cries.  
  
Xhalax climbed onto her Grandfather's lap. "Do you know how to play 'rock, paper, scissors?'"   
she asked.  
  
"Yes, I do," he said grinning. The two immediately got their fists ready. John grinned   
at them as they played.   
  
DK nudged him. "So, are we going to hear how this all happened?" he asked.  
  
If John's grin could get any wider, it did. "Yeah."  
  
"But we can't right now," Chiana cut off John.  
  
"Our other guests are probably getting a little anxious," Cassandra explained.  
  
"Well, let them," Rygel said and stuffed a food cube in his mouth. "When are we going to   
get fresh food?" he asked as he chewed.  
  
"Rygel, you are such a pig," Cassandra said and threw a food cube at him. He caught it   
in his mouth and everyone laughed.  
  
"Hey, did you hear that?" Chiana asked. The group got quite. They sat in silence till   
they heard a frustrated scream.  
  
John, Chiana, Cassandra, and DK stood up and quickly walked out into the hall to see what   
was going on. They found Jool pushing one of the large boxes that the Humans had brought.  
  
"What *are* you doing?" John asked, raising one eyebrow.  
  
Jool stood abruptly and placed both hands on her hips. "What does it look like I'm doing?   
I'm *trying* to get this food into the central chamber."  
  
Chiana and Cassandra snickered, while DK studied this latest alien. He was glad most   
seemed to look somewhat Human, though Rygel was fascinating because his appearance looked   
like a cross between Jabba the Hut and Yoda.   
  
John walked over to Jool as she started to push the box again. "You shouldn't be doing   
this," he said stopping her.  
  
"Why not?" She looked at John suspiciously, then it dawned on her. "Oh, not you too!"   
Jool leaned back over and began pushing the box again. John gave up trying to stop her   
and helped her push the box. "I'm only two monens pregnant! I won't frelling break from   
pushing a *box*!" She grunted from the effort.  
  
"Frell, Jool! Why is this so heavy? We didn't unload anything this heavy."  
  
"We combined the food boxes into this one."  
  
They had reached the door of the central chamber and shoved in the box. Chiana,   
Cassandra, and DK followed them in. "We'll unpack it," Chiana volunteered her and   
Cassandra.  
  
Rygel floated over to the box and peered in. "What kind of food is in it?"  
  
Cassandra reached in, "Food." She pulled out a flat box. "Oh. My. God."  
  
"What?" John asked standing.  
  
"Is this what I think it is?" Cassandra asked reverently. She carried the box over to   
the table and set it down. When John saw the box, he ran over to it. Cassandra looked   
at him. "Should I open it?" John nodded wordlessly. DK and Jack were laughing   
uncontrollably by this time; everyone else stared at the box in confusion. Cassandra   
touched the box's top. She looked up at John. "It's still warm."  
  
"Open the frelling box, you yotz!" Rygel said impatiently.  
  
Cassandra carefully opened the box and a heady aroma filled the room. Both Humans leaned   
closer to smell it more fully. Inside the box was a fresh Domino's pizza; half was extra   
cheese, half was covered in toppings. Cassandra picked up a slice of the cheese pizza,   
and John picked up a slice of the supreme pizza. They hesitantly took a bite, closing   
their eyes in bliss. After savoring the first bite, they began devouring the pizza.  
  
"Can I have some?" Chiana asked. Rygel wasn't bothering to ask, he was sneaking up on the box.  
  
John closed the box and placed his free hand protectively on the lid. Cassandra glanced   
at Chiana torn. John looked up at Chiana's hopeful face and sighed. "Oh, alright," he   
groaned. He tapped his com, "Everyone come to the central chamber please."  
  
"Is there any more?" Cassandra asked mournfully.  
  
"Nope. Just the one box," DK replied. "And I'll have you know it was *my* idea to bring   
a *fresh* *Domino's* *pizza* to you guys," he smirked.  
  
"Is there something wrong, John?"  
  
"Holy shit! She's blue!" DK sputtered before John could reply.  
  
"Yes, though I am curious. Why do Humans remark upon my color? Do you not have variations   
in skin color? Cassandra did you not tell me something about that?" Zhaan asked as she   
entered the room. She looked expectantly at the four Humans.  
  
"Yeah, we... umm... yeah," DK stared at Zhaan.  
  
"Yes, there are variations in skin color, just... nothing so..." Jack began trying to help DK out.  
  
"Blue?" DK supplied. Jack frowned at him, though Zhaan smiled.  
  
"John," Zhaan began, but she was interrupted by D'Argo.  
  
"What the frell is going on?" D'Argo's voice boomed long before he entered the room. "Are   
the Humans loose?" he asked roughly, charging into the room.  
  
DK manly tried to prevent the squeak of terror from escaping, but failed. Jack's jaw dropped   
open in surprise. D'Argo frowned when he saw the peaceful gathering. "What is going on?" he   
asked suspiciously.  
  
John laughed. "Dad, DK. Meet Zhaan and D'Argo. Oh, and this is Jool," he said, remembering   
he hadn't mentioned her name.  
  
"Jool!" D'Argo cried out in shock when he spotted her standing next to the very large box he   
had expressly told her not to move. "Are you alright? Why didn't you wait?!" he said instantly   
hovering over his wife, much to her discomfort.  
  
Jool had been happy enough when D'Argo first began his hovering but was rapidly loosing her   
patience with it. The two quickly fell into an argument that wasn't broken until Aeryn walked   
in the room with Jack.  
  
"What is going on here?" she shouted.  
  
Cassandra swallowed a bite of her pizza. "Pizza anyone?"  
  
Everyone glanced over at the pizza box. Stark, Rygel, Chiana, Xhalax, Zhaan, and Cassandra   
were all munching on the pizza. "It's quite delicious," Zhaan commented. John, DK, and Jack   
started laughing.  
  
D'Argo sniffed. "What is that you're eating?"  
  
John picked up the last two slices of the supreme pizza and handed one to D'Argo. Jool had   
already walked over to the box and taken the last slice of cheese. He walked over to Aeryn.   
"Trade ya," he grinned. He took Jack from her arms and handed her the pizza.  
  
"What is it?" she asked cautiously.   
  
"It's pizza," he said, giving her an encouraging smile.  
  
D'Argo took a bite. "Hmm... it's surprisingly good," he said and took a larger bite.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "I swear, one failed meal and he's ready to write off Human cuisine   
in its entirety."  
  
"This isn't going to taste like Cassandra's meatballs?" Aeryn asked, still unsure, eyeing the   
pizza nervously.  
  
"Just take a bite," John coaxed.   
  
Aeryn hesitantly took a taste of the pizza. She took a larger bite before starting to nod and   
grin. "This *is* good," she said as soon as she swallowed the second bite.  
  
Rygel started morosely at the empty pizza box. "Empty." He glanced at the box of food still   
waiting to be unpacked and gave a sly grin. "What else is in there?"  
  
Cassandra laughed and hurried to the box. "Let's see, shall we?" John, Jack, and DK grinned   
as everyone else looked on in anticipation of more delightful treats.  
  
***  
  
It took the better part of an arn to unpack the box of food. Cassandra passed out small bits   
of the immediately edible food for taste tests. With the exception of peanut butter, the small   
edibles were a hit, and the crew was anticipating the first true Human meal. Though John wanted   
to wait on the beer and chocolate testing so both items were put away without anyone trying them.   
Cassandra was very vocal once again about her failed meatball attempt, and for once, the crew   
believed her excuse that it was the ingredients she had to substitute not the actual food itself.  
  
By the time the box was unpacked, Xhalax and Jack were starting to get cranky, both ready for   
naps. The group began to break up as they remembered there were others aboard. Jack and DK   
had slipped so easily into the group, it had nearly been forgotten.  
  
Aeryn took Xhalax and Jack to their quarters, the chamber right next to hers and John's. There   
were two entries into the room. One from the corridor and one from their quarters, thanks to   
Pilot. Stark, Zhaan, and Jool went back to the docking bay where all the Humans' equipment was,   
intending to move it all into one of the smaller bays. No sense in giving them access to such a   
crucial area. Rygel retreated to his quarters with a bag of cookies, though no one was sure if   
he was going to hide it or eat it immediately.  
  
D'Argo, Chiana, John, and Cassandra escorted Jack and DK back to their quarters. "We'll be back   
to get you in a few microts," John said. "And remember, we didn't take you anywhere, and you   
can't understand anyone... oh, and try and act surprised when you see D'Argo."  
  
D'Argo raised his brow slightly at that comment, and Chiana stifled a giggle. Cassandra grinned   
at D'Argo and wagged her brows causing him to frown. Jack grinned and walked into his quarters   
followed by his DRD companion. They dropped off DK and his DRD and walked to Dr. Price's quarters.  
  
"Now the real fun starts," John said and palmed open the door. "Dr. Price?"  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	13. Remembered Pain

Don't forget to read the end of chapter 12 if you haven't done so already!  
  
  
  
Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 13: Remembered Pain  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
Dr. Price had been laying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had already investigated   
the room and examined the DRD as much as possible. So when the door to his room opened and   
he heard John Crichton's voice, he sat up with a huge sigh of relief. The sigh became a   
cough of surprise when he saw John's latest companion.  
  
"Hello," he said weakly. 'Please don't let me piss in my pants,' he thought numbly.  
  
Cassandra grinned at him. "Don't worry about D'Argo. He's all bark and no bite." D'Argo   
growled at her, and Chiana laughed.  
  
"Right," he said, his voice hadn't changed a bit though.  
  
John grinned. "Well, come on. Time for the intro lesson."  
  
Dr. Price and his DRD followed them to Laurie's quarters. Her shrieks were heard well down   
the hall, causing those inside to wonder what torture was being inflicted upon her, and if   
they would be next. The reactions of the Humans varied, from Dr. Smith's fainting to Dr.   
Mayfield's calm acceptance. Once everyone had recovered from their shock, John led them to   
the Terrace.  
  
John waited until their guests had quieted down, their awe lapsing into silence, before   
speaking. "Before I begin with your history lesson, there are a few technologies you need   
to understand. To begin, translator microbes. I'm sure that everyone on Earth and yourselves   
included have been theorizing how we are able to understand each other. The answer is   
translator microbes. They colonize at the base of the brain and allow us to understand each   
other."  
  
"You have alien microbes in your brain?!" Dr. Mayfield asked stunned.  
  
"Yes. I was injected with them shortly after I arrived," John replied, his voice calm.  
  
"Have we been injected?" Dr. Smith asked horrified.  
  
"Only those who ask for the microbes will be injected," John answered. He did not glance at   
his father or his friend.  
  
"Well I don't want them!" Dr. Mayfield shouted impassioned.  
  
"Then you will not receive them," John replied calmly. He glanced at the unsure faces of the   
Humans and asked, "Does anyone want to accept them now? The offer will be open as long as you   
wish, so don't feel pressured."  
  
"I would like them," Umi said meekly.  
  
"Me, too," Dr. Price added, his voice noticeably stronger though not any less afraid.  
  
Their two DRDs scooted closer to them and injected the microbes. Both let out a sound that   
conveyed their surprise. John waited until they looked up at him. "It will begin to work in   
a few microts."  
  
Umi nodded and subconsciously rubbed the back of her neck, where she knew the microbes would   
colonize. Dr. Price shifted his weight nervously.  
  
"Will you begin telling us what happened..." Laurie's questioned faltered at the end but her   
unspoken words were clear. '...to you? What changed you? You are not who you were.' Her   
gaze flickered to the pistol strapped at his thigh and the two similar ones on Cassandra.  
  
"Yes." John paused a moment, wondering just how he should phrase it, how he should begin.   
With so many years to think about it, he should have had some idea of how to start... "When   
I came out of the wormhole," he began haltingly. "I found myself in the middle of a battle."   
His voice began to strengthen. "One between the Peacekeepers and a Leviathan transport..."  
  
John talked for arns. He was grateful that Zhaan had thought to bring benches for them all to   
sit on, or otherwise they all would have grown tired of the lesson. He would have to remember   
to thank her again. D'Argo, Chiana, Cassandra, and John were the only ones standing. Perhaps   
the only ones of the group with the endurance and the patience to do so. John spoke of every   
event he had experienced, certain details were left out of course, but for the most part, he told   
everything. The fact that Moya had been a prison transport was one such detail that was glossed   
over. His child on the Royal Planet was not spoken of. His and Aeryn's relationship was hidden   
in omitted details. His double was kept secret.  
  
When his voice began to tire, Cassandra took up her story. She told of her imprisonment, and what   
she learned of the races captured with her. When it was time for their stories to meet, John   
once again took the lead. They began alternating as two different points of each story was told.   
Cassandra remained silent about her growing relationship with Crais, and John did not mention his   
rise to fatherhood.  
  
When the last joy of discovering the secrets to wormholes was explored, they grew silent. Neither   
knew what to expect from the small assembly, and neither particularly wanted to face it. Both were   
exhausted emotionally and physically from having to relieve the experiences that so damaged them.  
  
"D'Argo and I will escort you back to your quarters," Chiana said after a microt. Neither of her   
friends were ready to hear their guests' response.  
  
The awe of being able to understand an alien was diminished by the dark tales the two astronauts   
told. Umi and Dr. Price rose without a word. Jack and DK stood a moment later, to hide that they   
had accepted the microbes earlier. Everyone else stood following their example. Chiana and D'Argo   
led them to their quarters, no one spoke.  
  
***  
  
Pilot, who had been monitoring the Terrace, sent two messages. The first he sent to Talyn, a message   
that said Crais was needed immediately. The second was much easier to deliver. Aeryn was told to   
go to the Terrace. She would find her husband there, alone and in much remembered pain. Pilot kept   
a close watch over Cassandra as she left the Terrace. He would need to be able to tell Crais where   
she was.  
  
***  
  
Aeryn found John standing alone, staring not at the stars, as he normally did, but instead at the   
empty benches Zhaan had placed there for the meeting. He didn't look up when she entered, didn't   
seem to notice. She walked over to him, placed both hands on his face, and turned his face to meet   
her gaze. She could tell he had been talking to Harvey, who no doubt had been making John's pain worse.   
  
"Aeryn?" he whispered brokenly as his eyes focused on her.  
  
"John." Her voice trembled as his pain stirred her emotions.   
  
In an insane universe, two souls once more relived great pain... but for the first time, they let it   
go. He had finally confronted his demons. His father knew nearly everything now, and no matter what   
his final reaction turned out to be... John had done the right thing.  
  
***  
  
Crais arrived on Moya, expecting a battle. Pilot's message had been simple. He was needed, by whom and   
for what could be answered when he got there. So he got there. He stepped from the transport   
expecting someone to greet him, be it friend or foe, but there was no one. He drew his pistol.  
  
"That will not be necessary, Captain," Pilot's voice spoke calmly.  
  
"What is happening?" Crais demanded; he did not put away his pistol.  
  
"Cassandra needs you," Pilot said simply.  
  
Crais instantly holstered his pistol. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's in Maintenance Bay 6; the Farscape is in need of some minor repairs," Pilot answered, knowing   
Crais would wonder why the Farscape was there instead of in it's usual spot in Docking Bay 1 with   
Aeryn's Prowler.  
  
Crais found Cassandra staring at her brother's module. The Farscape had certainly seen better days.   
Her shape remained the same but her hull was a patchwork of different metals. John had managed to   
adapt a shield and weapons to the small craft; she was an odd assortment of technologies. Perhaps   
the Farscape was Crichton's more visible self.   
  
Cassandra turned at his entrance. "Bialar... what are you doing here?" she asked, quickly brushing   
aside her tears.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"We... John and I... we told them. We told them everything." She burst into tears again. Harsh,   
painful sobs racked her body, and Crais pulled her into his embrace, desperately trying to comfort   
the woman he loved. Her sobs softened, though the tears continued. "When I was with the K'lar'in,   
I thought that no one could ever feel the pain I felt. No one could experience the depth of   
humiliation and shame that I had. No one could be so paralyzed with terror." Cassandra shook   
her head. "But I was wrong. I couldn't even stay with him afterwards. I left him alone, too   
afraid that once I started crying, I'd never stop." Cassandra's tear filled eyes looked up, pleading   
with him. "How did he do it? How did he survive?"  
  
Crais was shocked into silence. Cassandra was not mourning for her lost innocence, she was mourning   
Crichton's. Crais gathered his thoughts, forming his reply carefully. "He had Aeryn. With her, he   
will always survive. He will never be lost."  
  
Her eyes accepted his statement, and she buried her face in his chest. Her tears, for the moment,   
quiet. 'But what about me?' she asked silently. 'What do I have?'  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
sorry about the wait, but classes started back on the 2nd and things have been a little crazy...  
can you believe! they started us back on the 2nd for cripes sakes! sheesh! anyway, thanks to the  
peps reviewing and the ones sending e-mails, I am enjoying both enormously  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	14. Disscusions Over Dinner

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 14: Discussions Over Dinner  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
Chiana sighed in relief. "This was easier than I thought it would be," she remarked.  
  
"It's done then?" Jool asked.  
  
"Yeah, just let me... there! Done!" Chiana began placing various dishes of Earth food   
on the table. "Pilot?"  
  
"Yes, Chiana?"  
  
"Please have everyone come for dinner."  
  
"Of course," he replied.  
  
"Can I try some?" Jool asked as Chiana placed another mouth-watering dish down.  
  
"No, we are waiting for everyone," Chiana said firmly.  
  
"But, I'm hungry!"  
  
"Too bad." Chiana began making up a tray of food. She put a great deal of food on   
it, so much so that Jool asked her why she was doing it. "It's for Rygel. He is   
watching the children during the meal." She turned to Jool when she finished.   
"Take this to his quarters, and don't eat any of it."  
  
"Why don't you?"  
  
"I have to guard the food."  
  
"I can do that," Jool protested.  
  
"No, you can eat the food, not guard it. Take this to him and hurry back. Everyone   
is on the way."  
  
Jool reluctantly took the tray and left the room. A few microts later, Zhaan and Stark   
walked in, followed closely by D'Argo. Jool came back just as Cassandra, John, Aeryn,   
and Crais led the Humans in.   
  
There was a great deal of staring on the Humans' part, and a great deal of cautiousness   
on the part of Moya's crew. "Please sit," Chiana said unconsciously becoming the hostess   
for the meal.  
  
John and Aeryn sat side by side as was their usual want. Jack sat beside his son, and   
Cassandra immediately nabbed the place beside her father. Crais sat down beside her, and   
Chiana beside him. DK cautiously sat beside Chiana, with Laurie practically attached to   
him at the hip in fear.  
  
Beside Aeryn, sat D'Argo and Jool. Zhaan sat beside her with Stark present at her side as   
always. Umi sat beside Stark somewhat nervously, and Dr. Smith sat beside her. In-between   
Laurie and Dr. Smith sat Drs. Mayfield and Price, completing the circle.  
  
The Humans waited, wondering if there was some ritual the aliens did before a meal. Instead   
they saw multiple reactions. Stark and Zhaan both said a blessing before staring to serve   
themselves. Everyone else began serving themselves with varying degrees of cautiousness.  
  
Cassandra remarked on D'Argo's study of the chicken dish in front of him, causing the tension   
in the aliens to dissipate somewhat. The Humans began to serve themselves after seeing that   
no one was dying from eating the food. The conversations between the 'aliens' was restrained   
from the normal chatter due to the fact that some of the Humans had microbes and could   
understand any comments they made about the children or any other personal matters. It was   
also odd to eat the evening meal without Xhalax. Crais however was able to fill in the odd   
silences with information about the war.  
  
"The Luxans have managed to force all Peacekeeper presence from their planet and their solar   
system, but it was a hard battle, many were killed," Crais informed them.  
  
"They are free though, it was worth it," D'Argo said solemnly. "We should go there first to   
pick up warriors."  
  
"I agree," Crais said nodding.  
  
"We should also consider picking up some of the Tavleks," John remarked.  
  
"The gauntlet would be very useful, Aeryn," Zhaan commented when she heard Aeryn's snort of   
disgust.  
  
"If we could get the Royal Colonies to enlist some pilots, it would be useful," Cassandra   
added. "I mean, we have the ships. We need pilots."  
  
"What is your complement now?" Crais asked.  
  
"We have 16 Prowlers, 4 Marauders, 2 Delvian fighters, 3 Nebari fighters, D'Argo's ship, and   
the Farscape," Cassandra replied. "Oh, and that little Hynerian fighter that Rygel likes so   
much." This comment brought amused smiles to the faces of Moya's crew. Rygel had discovered   
the little fighter, and it was one of the few the group had actually bought. Rygel spent a   
lot of time learning how to fly it, though all bets were off on whether or not he would actually   
use it in battle.  
  
"We also have 5 Delvian transports, and Moya has 20 transports ready," Chiana added.  
  
"I have 6 Prowlers, 1 Marauder, and Talyn has 20 transports ready as well," Crais replied.  
  
"Why are you all concerned with how many ships and pilots you have?" Umi asked when there was a   
slight pause in the conversation.  
  
The crew grew still and glanced at John. "When we leave here, we will be going into battle,"   
he said calmly. "We need them."  
  
"Why?" Laurie asked. "I mean, why do you have to go?"  
  
"Is this really your fight?" Dr. Price asked.  
  
"It's everyone's fight," Chiana replied.  
  
Laurie glanced over at Dr. Price for a translation. "She said, it's everyone's fight."  
  
"I don't understand. I mean, I wasn't there for your little war explanation thing," Laurie paused   
a moment. "What's going on up here?"  
  
John and Cassandra began explaining once again the state of the Universe at the moment. When the   
matter was sufficiently explained, Dr. Smith ended up asking a loaded question. "What about your   
families? Don't any of you want to settle down and have a family?"  
  
"Of course we do. But, we also think of Moya as our home, and everyone here as our family,"   
Zhaan replied.  
  
"Though John calls it a 'Jury Spinger' kind of family," Chiana said grinning.  
  
Those with translator microbes laughed at Chiana's attempt to say Jerry Springer, though they   
understood the seriousness of Zhaan's reply. Those without translator microbes waited somewhat   
impatiently for a translation.  
  
After the meal, everyone but Laurie and Dr. Mayfield accepted the translator microbes. The Humans   
were then given a tour of Moya. The tour group ended up splitting into two. Cassandra leading one   
with all of the doctors, and John leading the one with their family and DK. John's group moved   
slower than Cassandra's, spending a great deal of time in Pilot's den. Cassandra's group spent a   
large amount of time in Zhaan's apothecary due to the inquisitive Dr. Smith.  
  
After the tour was over, the Humans were locked back into their rooms, and the crew began some of   
their usual activities. Chiana, Crais, and Cassandra were in the training room, where Chiana was   
once again learning fighting techniques. Zhaan and Stark were meditating. Rygel was stuffing his   
face in the central chamber. Aeryn and little Jack were sleeping. D'Argo was playing his shilliquin   
for Jool, and John sat in Command with Xhalax. Xhalax was learning Algebra, and John was taking a   
shift.  
  
John and Cassandra were both grateful that the topic of conversation had managed to stear clear of   
their tales of adventures. It would have to be discussed eventually, but both were glad it   
wouldn't be that night.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
so, has anyone picked up on the hints i've been dropping? i've been doing some major forshadowing  
like about a certain relationship that is going to begin popping up soon? anyone want to take a   
guess? lol, anyway, thanks to the peps reviewing and the ones sending e-mails, I am enjoying both   
enormously  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	15. Pilot's New Hobby

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 15: Pilot's New Hobby  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{3 weeks later}  
  
A routine was firmly established between the occupants and the guests of Moya. John   
and Cassandra spent the majority of their time with DK, Dr. Umi Kanzaki, Dr. Price,   
and Dr. Mayfield. Relations between Dr. Mayfield continued to be strained, and both   
couldn't wait till he left. While John and Cassandra instructed the scientists, Zhaan   
and Jool instructed Dr. Smith in the medical technology aboard the ship. Jack spent   
his time with Xhalax, allowing Aeryn to devote her time to caring for little Jack   
without worrying about what Xhalax was getting into. Laurie, still among those in   
the dark about the relationships aboard Moya, was left to her own devices. She ended   
up tagging along with Dr. Smith and her instructors, rather than having to face   
spending her time with D'Argo, Rygel, Stark, or Pilot. Chiana and Crais were busy   
preparing the ships for battle; Aeryn was often present, guiding Chiana through her   
duties. None of the Humans were allowed to wander about Moya without a guide. The   
main reason for this was to avoid running into Xhalax, who was still given free-reign   
of the ship, or running into Aeryn and little Jack.  
  
Laurie finally caved in and accepted the translator microbes; however, Dr. Mayfield   
still refused them. His manners had begun to be so repulsive that no one really had   
anything to do with him. He refused to speak to anyone who wasn't Human, despite the   
fact that he knew they could understand him. He was rude and insulting to John and   
Cassandra for living with aliens, and as an extension, was rude to DK, Jack, Umi, and   
Laurie. Dr. Price had given up trying to be nice to him, only Dr. Smith spoke to him.   
Cassandra was convinced this was out of sympathy due to the fact she had seen some of   
the faces that Dr. Smith had been making at Dr. Mayfield's awful behavior.  
  
With only a week remaining for the Humans currently aboard, the crew of Moya was   
looking forward to some time alone... before they came back with an even bigger batch   
of Humans.  
  
***  
  
"Frell," Cassandra said dropping a plate of food cubes on the table. She sat down   
heavily. "I am *so* tired."  
  
"How can you eat that *stuff*," Laurie asked staring at the green cubes on the plate.  
  
"I'm too tired to try and find something better," Cassandra replied. "I might even be   
too tired to eat," she said glumly.  
  
Cassandra and Laurie were alone in the central chamber. The oppressive Dr. Mayfield   
had irriated Cassandra so much, she had to leave or kill him. She figured it might   
be better if she left. She had passed by the apothecary and seen Laurie looking   
bored out of her mind. Taking pity on her sister, she invited her to come with her.   
Her first stop was food.  
  
Cassandra popped one of the food cubes in her mouth as Laurie looked on with distaste.   
Cassandra grinned and swallowed. "We haven't had time to sit down and talk, so tell   
me what's been happening. Are you still married to... uhh..."  
  
"Joshua, Joshua Lewis." Laurie scowled at her sister. "I can't believe you don't   
remember his name. And of course we're still married."  
  
"Sorry, you weren't married long enough before I left for me to remember." Besides,  
Laurie hadn't taken her husband's name, did she really expect her to remember?  
  
Laurie waved her hand in dismissal. "We still live in LA. I have a job now."  
  
"You have a job?"  
  
"I was bored."  
  
"So what do you do?"  
  
"I am one of the leading Interior Decorators in the city."  
  
"Congratulations. I've always liked your taste."  
  
"Really?" Laurie asked doubtfully.  
  
"Well I couldn't tell you, could I? After all, you were the wicked sister of the   
west," Cassandra replied grinning. "Kids?"  
  
"No, no kids."  
  
"Do you want kids?"  
  
Laurie shrugged. "Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't."  
  
"Sure you don't want to try a food cube?" Cassandra asked waving a food cube at   
Laurie.  
  
"Tempting... but no," Laurie replied with a smile.  
  
"Either try this, or try the Escargot I'm making for dinner," Cassandra said  
with an evil grin.  
  
"You are going to serve your friends snails?"  
  
"Rygel will love them, now come on. Just take a bite," Cassandra coaxed.  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Please!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"I love you!"  
  
"I hate you!"  
  
The two women started laughing uncontrollably at this point. "You don't know what   
you're missing," Cassandra said, popping another food cube in her mouth.  
  
***  
  
Chiana and Crais walked into the central chamber and found Cassandra, Laurie, DK,   
Jack, and John sitting around the table. It was obvious what it was they were   
talking about. Cassandra and Laurie were crying openly and the guys were manly   
trying not to. Before they could turn around and leave them, John spotted them. He   
waved them in and stood. Jack stood as well, and the two left to catch up on old   
times.   
  
Crais shot a look at Cassandra. She stood and helped Laurie up. "I'm fine," she   
insisted. "I'm just going to take Laurie back to her room."  
  
"I'll come with you," he replied.  
  
She gave him a shaky smile. "Okay." The three left, Laurie still leaning heavily   
on Cassandra. Her words nearly incoherent through her sobs. Words saying she was   
sorry and words of joy at finding her long-lost siblings.  
  
Chiana glanced at them, starting for a moment to follow them, then looked back at DK.   
He was the only one of the group who had been eating, therefore the only one left in   
the central chamber. D'Argo would kill her if she left one of the Humans alone, even   
if it was DK.  
  
She sighed softly. He was a very good-looking specimen of the Human species, but   
John had warned her away from the whole group. She sat down in front of him with a   
bag of potato chips. She understood why John and Cassandra had wanted to return so   
bad now. If the Nebari had food like this, conforming wouldn't have been so bad. She   
laughed inwardly. Rygel wanted desperately to go to the surface, presumably to try   
the food they hadn't shipped up.  
  
DK glanced up at saw her smile. "What's so amusing?" he asked curious.  
  
She shook the bag of chips. "Your food's effect on everyone," she replied with a   
giggle.  
  
DK laughed. He had seen Rygel arguing with John about going to the surface to try   
more of the Human delicacies. "I know what you mean."  
  
She grinned. He was charming, just like John, if perhaps a little quieter. She was   
surprised when he began asking her questions about her life. She was even more   
surprised when she heard herself giving honest answers.  
  
***  
  
{that night, the evening meal}  
  
Dr. Mayfield had begun eating in his room, a relief to those forced into his presence,   
not even a week after he arrived. Rygel was still watching the kids, and everyone   
else was more or less where they were sitting the first time.  
  
"Guess what I found out," Cassandra said grinning at John.  
  
"What?" he replied automatically.  
  
"You know how we all have been wondering what Pilot's been up to. I found out what   
is."  
  
"What? Is he alright?" Zhaan asked with genuine concern.  
  
Cassandra's grin got wider. "He's been watching TV." She started laughing so hard   
she could barely breathe.  
  
John had just taken a sip of his drink, and spewed it at her announcement. "What did   
you say?" he asked hoarsely, ignoring Aeryn's laughter at him.  
  
"Specifically, MTV."  
  
"What? How do you know?" John asked coughing.  
  
"I heard him rapping," she said laughing again. John started laughing, the image of   
Pilot rapping and bobbing his head behind his consol was too funny for him to try and   
be serious. "He was rapping 'Take it to Da House.'" Cassandra started acting like   
she was Pilot, rapping the words she could remember from the song. Everyone was   
laughing helplessly.   
  
"Those are not the correct words," Pilot's voice broke in.  
  
"Sing it for us, baby!" Cassandra shouted as his face appeared on the clamshell.  
  
Pilot gave her a startled look. Everyone joined in trying to get Pilot to sing for   
them. Eventually Pilot gave in and sang. For the rest of the meal, the group   
listened to Pilot's unusual rapping. After all, how often does someone with a   
usually precise voice talk like that?  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
so what does everyone think of Pilot's new hobby? lol, i can just see it, and every time  
i think of it, i start laughing. okay, now peps, you aren't stupid... maybe a little   
slow... no, lol, after all it isn't something anyone has done before, and even i don't  
really know how i'm going to advance their relationship. it'll come to me tho. thanks  
for reviewing and sending e-mails, it's what keeps me going!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	16. John, I Am Your Father

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 16: John, I Am Your Father  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{1 week later}  
  
"See ya when ya get back!" Cassandra waved as the Humans boarded the transport. Chiana   
was flying them over to the Space Station. When the door closed, she dropped her hand   
and her smile disappeared. "THANK GOD!"  
  
"They'll be back," John said glumly.  
  
"Don't ruin my relief," she replied.  
  
The two turned and walked out of the docking bay. Cassandra began humming and she   
smiled. "See ya 'round, bro!" she said grinning and taking off.  
  
"Hey where are you going?" he shouted after her. The only reply he got was laughter.   
He scowled. "Don't know why she's so happy; they'll all be back in a few days. Only   
this time, they'll bring a bunch of politicians with them," he muttered.  
  
"John?"  
  
"Yeah, Pilot."  
  
"Aeryn is requesting your help in Maintenance Bay 4."  
  
"Tell her I'll be right there," he replied and turned around heading to Maintenance   
Bay 4.  
  
"Yes, John."  
  
After a few dozen microts, John entered the bay. "Aeryn?"  
  
"Over here," she called.  
  
John followed the sounds of her voice and found her working on his module. "Aeryn."  
  
"Hand me that torch."  
  
John picked up the torch and handed it to her. "Pilot said you needed my help?"  
  
She looked at him a moment, taking in the lines of stress that past monen had placed   
on his face. John had been particularly snappish since the Humans had arrived. Aeryn   
laid all the blame for that at Dr. Mayfield's feet. Cassandra had to steer clear of   
him due to the rage he could send her into, leaving John to put up with his dren.   
Every night since the Humans had come, John had fallen into bed, waking only when she   
shoved him out of it for breakfast. The tension was still in his stance despite the   
fact that Moya was now empty of guests. "Yes. I do need your help."  
  
She stood up and got out of the module. Standing next to him, Aeryn once again saw   
how the tension gripped his body. He even had developed a slight tick. Aeryn hoped   
it wasn't permanent; it was driving her crazy.  
  
"What is it then?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"I don't think you'll find it too difficult," she replied seriously.   
  
John was surprised when she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her, sealing her lips   
over his. He was surprised, but certainly not unhappy with it. He wrapped his arms   
around her, pulling her closer.   
  
She tugged at his shirt and broke the kiss. "Like I said, I don't think you'll find   
it too difficult." She pulled off his shirt.  
  
"You know I love to help you any way I can," he replied grinning, kissing her again.  
  
***  
  
Chiana stepped out of the transport and rolled her shoulders. She hadn't told anyone   
but flying over to the Space Station had made her nervous. She sighed; she was already   
starting to miss DK. After the shared "meal" in the central chamber, the two had   
started to spend time together. They had become friends, not that Chiana wouldn't   
mind being something more, but... She rolled her shoulders again, shaking herself out   
of her thoughts.  
  
"Pilot?"  
  
"Yes, Chiana."  
  
"Where is everyone?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
Chiana grinned at his hesitation. "Okay, just tell me where I don't want to go."  
  
"I suggest that you avoid Maintenance Bay 4, the Terrace, and the main junction on   
Tier 3."  
  
Chiana started laughing. She hadn't gone to visit Pilot in awhile, and she decided   
that was exactly what she'd do. Besides, she was still curious about this "MTV"   
thing.  
  
***  
  
A few arns later there was a party going on in Pilot's Den. Granted it was a small   
party, but a party nonetheless. Stark, Zhaan, Rygel, Chiana, Xhalax, Pilot, and Jack   
were all watching TV on one of Pilot's monitors. Not that Jack was really watching;   
he was sleeping in Zhaan's arms.  
  
Chiana ate some popcorn and passed the bowl to Rygel. Rygel took out some and passed   
it to Stark. The bowl of popcorn continued to pass around until there wasn't any   
left. Then a bag of chips went around. There was beer, fellip nectar, and apple   
juice.  
  
And they were watching 'Star Wars.'  
  
Completely enthralled.  
  
When it was over, there were groans of disappointment. Anxious to know what happened   
next, the group was tempted to call John or Cassandra. There were sighs of relief   
when 'Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back' began to play. They had managed to hit on a   
station playing all the old Star Wars movies in order, and little did they realize,   
without commercials and unedited. A very good find.  
  
***  
  
{after the movie fest, evening meal}  
  
The crew was pretty quite. The couples aboard were once again happy with each other,   
a relief to those on the sidelines. Chiana was suddenly grateful that Zhaan led Stark   
around by the nose; they never fought. If there were four couples that habitually   
yelled at each other, she might have jumped out an airlock.  
  
"Psst," Xhalax whispered and kicked Chiana under the table.  
  
She jumped startled. "What?" she whispered back.  
  
"Use the force, Luke."  
  
Chiana started laughing and Xhalax grinned. Chiana leaned over and whispered to   
Rygel. Rygel grinned. Zhaan stared at the three of the them curiously. Rygel   
leaned over at whispered it to Zhaan. Zhaan smiled serenely. By this time everyone   
else had noticed there was a great deal of whispering going on. Zhaan whispered it to   
Stark, and he laughed.  
  
"Okay, what is going on?" John asked.  
  
"John, I am your father," Pilot's voice said, coming in harshly over the speakers. He   
had obviously altered the sound and there appeared to be heavy breathing mixed in with   
it.  
  
The group who had watched TV all day bust out laughing. Rygel was laughing so hard, he   
fell off his throne-sled. This made the group laugh even harder. Pilot's evil   
sounding laughter was also bouncing around the room. Tears streamed down Chiana's   
face, and Zhaan's laughter was now inaudible, just little squeaks could be heard every   
time she tried to draw a breath. Stark and Xhalax had stood and were mock-fighting   
with imaginary light-sabers.  
  
Crais, Cassandra, John, Aeryn, D'Argo, and Jool stared in absolute silence. They were   
completely shocked. This behavior was typical of Stark and Xhalax, but Zhaan, Chiana,   
Rygel and PILOT???  
  
"What are you all on?" Cassandra asked dumbfounded.  
  
"'John, I am your father?'" John repeated hoping to be clued in. "Wait a minute!"  
  
"John, I am your father!" Cassandra replied coming to the same conclusion.  
  
"Luke, I am your father!" they said together. They started laughing. "Oh, my! You   
all have been watching Star Wars!" Cassandra said grinning.  
  
Jool, D'Argo, Crais, and Aeryn were still confused.  
  
By the time the laughter had died down and Pilot had changed his voice back to normal,   
Rygel had claimed to be related to Yoda, Xhalax was calling herself a Jedi, and Chiana   
was asking Cassandra the best way to make a light-saber.  
  
John gave the four 'still-in-the-dark' a brief summary of Star Wars, or, well, he tried   
to. It would have been brief except everyone who had just seen it were adding details   
to John's story.  
  
Eventually, they all trooped over to Pilot's Den to watch TV, in the hopes of seeing it   
again. As luck would have it, the same station was playing the movies again. By the   
time the first movie ended, Xhalax was asleep. Chiana, Zhaan, Cassandra, and Stark   
drifted off during the third movie. Once the last movie went off, those still awake   
talked for awhile before either falling asleep themselves or stumbling out of the Den   
to find their beds.  
  
Pilot glanced at the sleeping figures spread around him. He was happy. Moya had   
liked the movies too.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
oooookay, right, i have no idea where this chapter came from. when i sat down to write  
it, i was really not meaning to write this, i was going to write a serious chapter...  
well, you can see how well i succeeded. so what did you think of it? tell me! i  
am very curious for obvious reasons. thanks to the peps reviewing and e-mailing, i   
live for it!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	17. Cassandra's Surprises

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 17: Cassandra's Surprises  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
{1 week later}  
  
Cassandra stared at the transport pod nervously. She took a deep breath, held it, then   
exhaled. "Okay, I'm ready."  
  
Chiana sent her friend a sympathetic smile and watched as she boarded the transport.   
Cassandra was flying down to the surface to pick up the next batch of supplies and the   
Humans.  
  
Cassandra landed the transport at the coordinates Thomas Clark had given her. She   
exited the transport cautiously, spotting Thomas Clark immediately. "Mr. Secretary,"   
she acknowledged, though her right hand stayed close to her pistol.  
  
"Commander Crichton," he said eyeing the hand hovering over the pistol. "If you will   
follow me."  
  
She followed him across the landing field to one of the many buildings. It took a   
microt for her eyes to adjust to the indoors. She waited patiently for Mr. Clark while   
he spoke to his staff about loading the transport. When he finished, he turned to   
her.  
  
"Your passengers will be arriving shortly. Is there anything I can get you?"  
  
"Yes. There are some things I'd like to get before we leave."  
  
"Give me a list, and I'll see that they are acquired."  
  
"I'm afraid that won't work. I need to pick some of them out."  
  
Mr. Clark frowned. He didn't like the idea of Cassandra Crichton, a known friend of   
aliens Earth was still unsure about, running around.  
  
"Send someone with me. You'd need to anyway; I don't have any money," Cassandra said,   
guessing the nature of his thoughts.  
  
"Alright," he said after awhile. "But two guards will accompany you as well as my   
assistant, Mr. Pentagrast."  
  
"Fine," Cassandra agreed. "Here's a list of the stuff I don't need to be there to   
get." She handed him a small list.  
  
A short while later, Cassandra found herself in the back of a black sedan, seated next   
to the serious Mr. Pentagrast. He frowned at her. "Where is it you need to go?"  
  
"First stop would be a textbook store, someplace I can find college textbooks," she   
replied, ignoring his bad attitude.  
  
Cassandra selected a great many textbooks: math textbooks from Algebra to Calculus   
III, science textbooks of every type. She got as many medical textbooks and reference   
books as she could find. She selected a few English textbooks as well. Mr. Pentagrast   
showed his disapproval through the whole process. After once again getting into the   
car, Cassandra directed them to another unusual spot, where she acquired the three   
most important things she'd wanted.  
  
Her purchases were loaded into the transport without comment, her last three being   
placed with her in the pilot's area. She shook hands with all of the politicians,   
waved at her father and DK, and boarded the transport.  
  
Upon returning to Moya, Cassandra did not immediately exit the transport. She waited   
until Pilot, her co-conspirator, gave her the all clear. No one was in the docking   
bay. Gathering her three purchases, she exited the transport with all due haste.   
Depositing them in her quarters, she locked the door and met up with the group being   
shown around Moya.  
  
As soon as the politicians were safely tucked away in their quarters, the supplies   
from the transport unpacked, and the crew was relaxed in the central chamber,   
Cassandra got up and returned to her quarters. Once more gathering her purchases, she   
took them to the central chamber.   
  
She stood out in the hall, somewhat nervous. "Oh, John!" she called. "I have a   
surprise for you!"  
  
The talking in the central chamber fell silent. What was Cassandra up to? She leaned   
down and released one of her purchases. She gently pushed him into the central   
chamber and glanced up at John.  
  
The absolute shock on his face melted into absolute joy. He laughed and squatted   
down. "You got me a puppy!" He called the puppy over to him.   
  
Cassandra grinned as John and the puppy became acquainted. "I want one!" Xhalax   
groaned.  
  
Cassandra became very serious. "I'm sorry, Xhalax. I guess you'll just have to make   
due with this..." She reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out a   
small ball of orange fluff.  
  
Xhalax squealed. "What is it?"  
  
Cassandra grinned. "It's a kitten, a little girl."  
  
"What's her name?" Xhalax asked in awe as Cassandra placed the sleepy kitten in her   
arms.  
  
"She doesn't have one yet; you get to name her," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Really?" Xhalax asked joyfully. "Mommy! Mommy! Look at my kitten!" Xhalax yelled   
rushing over to show her mother.  
  
Aeryn stared at the kitten slightly confused. What was she suppose to do with it?   
"It's umm..."  
  
"Isn't she beautiful?" Xhalax cried enthused.   
  
"Oh, yes, of course!" Aeryn replied, shooting her husband a 'please help me' look.  
  
John picked up his wiggling puppy and walked over to Aeryn and Xhalax. John set the   
puppy in Aeryn's lap much to her surprise. He picked up her hand and placed it on the   
puppy's head, teaching her how to pet. Leaving Aeryn to get acquainted to the puppy,   
which despite herself, she actually began to like, John showered praise on Xhalax's   
kitten.  
  
Crais glanced at Cassandra. "You didn't get one for yourself?"  
  
Cassandra turned away from the adorable site of her brother's family and grinned at   
her lover. "I never said that." Reaching once more into her inner pocket, she pulled   
out a small silver-gray fluff ball. "He's a pure-blooded Russian Blue, my favorite   
type of cat." She lifted the kitten so it was eye level with her. She placed a kiss   
on it's nose and brought it back close to her body. "His name is Draco."  
  
Jool, Chiana, and Zhaan clustered around Cassandra to see her kitten. D'Argo and   
Rygel left the chamber, not really understanding what the fuss was about. Stark   
watched the puppy intently, trying to figure out what it was thinking, presumably.   
Crais watched Cassandra. She was almost glowing. It was obvious to him, she was   
already in love with the kitten, Draco... and he was feeling jealous.  
  
***  
  
A few arns later, John came to his senses. "Cassandra did you really think this   
through?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Well for starters, where are they going to go to the bathroom?"  
  
Cassandra grinned. "Come with me. Pilot should be done by now."  
  
John, followed by his new faithful companion, Pegasus, (named for the constellation),   
wandered down the corridor after Cassandra. She finally stopped a little ways away   
from the second largest storage bay on Moya. Cassandra insisted that he close his   
eyes before she allowed him to proceed any further.  
  
"This is also a surprise for Zhaan. Pilot and I have been wanting to do this for   
ages, and it was my idea," Cassandra told him as she lead him in. "Keep your eyes   
closed. No peeking!"  
  
"What is that smell? And that sound? If I didn't know better I'd say it was a   
waterfall," John said laughing.  
  
Cassandra grinned, they were standing in the center of the room now. "Okay, open   
them!"  
  
John opened his eyes and his mouth fell open in shock. "This is... You..."   
Cassandra laughed at his stuttering attempts to speak. "Wow."  
  
Cassandra and Pilot had transformed the bay into a garden of immense proportions.   
There was a waterfall, he'd have to ask how they managed to pull that off, and all   
different kinds of plants and trees. He was walking on grass. Grass from Earth. He   
felt his eyes begin to tear up.  
  
"I got the idea from all those science fiction books we use to read. You know, the   
ones where they grew their food on board? We won't be able to feed ourselves entirely   
with this but it will supplement what we buy on commerce planets." She glanced at   
John, who was still to overcome to speak. "I figured Zhaan and Jool could figure out   
a way to stunt the trees, that way they stay the size they are now. We don't have   
room for them to grow very tall or to put down deep roots. As is, we had to put them   
all on hills."  
  
John glanced around, he hadn't noticed that. Every tree was elevated, the soil   
underneath and around it built up.  
  
"I didn't think it would all fit in the transport pod, but they managed to squeeze it   
all in, barely," she laughed. John saw Pegasus sniffing around an apple tree and   
couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Oh! And!" She dashed back over to the door. He hadn't noticed that she had lead him   
up some steps. "Pilot! Lock down the room!" A new door came down, sealing the   
room. "With the way the room works. Even if Moya is completely vented with space,   
this room will still hold it's air. No matter what, the room will stay as is."  
  
"You thought of everything," John said, still flabbergasted.  
  
"Actually the door and sealing off the room was Pilot's idea," she replied.  
  
"You both did an awesome job," John said grinning.  
  
"Thank you, John," Pilot replied.  
  
"Ditto," Cassandra said smiling. "Oh, I got to get Zhaan!" Pilot opened the doors   
and Cassandra sprinted out.  
  
John looked around again, "Wow."  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
hmmm... i still haven't decided if i'm going to keep this chapter. if you all like  
it, i'll keep it, but if you think it's too 'out there' i'll take it down and write  
a different one. so tell me what you think! thanks to the peps reviewing and e-mailing,   
i live for it!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	18. The Storm

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 18: The Storm  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
Cassandra woke when she heard a very pitiful cry from the floor. She opened her   
eyes sleepily and looked down. Draco looked up at her and cried again. "What are   
you doing on the floor?" she whispered softly. She reached down and picked him   
up. Draco started purring. She rolled over onto her back, setting the kitten on   
her chest, and lightly petting his head. "Shh," she whispered as Draco's purrs   
began to grow in volume.  
  
The kitten ignored her and tried to get comfortable. Deciding that Cassandra   
wouldn't be nearly as comfortable to sleep on as the lump in the bed beside her,   
Draco walked over and climbed on Crais. Cassandra giggled as Crais opened his   
eyes to see a pair of blue cat eyes staring at him.  
  
"What is it doing?" he whispered.  
  
Cassandra laughed. "He likes you," she replied softly. Sure enough Draco settled   
down on his chest and closed his eyes. Cassandra smiled at the uneasy look on her   
lover's face. She kissed his cheek and cuddle in close to him. "I like you, too,"   
she whispered, yawning, drifting into sleep. If she had been awake only a few   
microts longer, she would have seen one of her lover's rare smiles.   
  
***  
  
"We've all been briefed on what has transpired up here, and we all agreed to take   
the microbes. Dr. Mayfield can continue to be the control, and Ms. Tanya Stanislaski   
has also agreed to remain without the microbes."  
  
"Are you sure about this? I mean once you have them, you have them for life," John   
once again tried to explain.  
  
"Yes, yes. We know all that."   
  
John still felt a little unsure about ordering the DRDs to inject them. There were   
ten new faces on Moya, each a politician for some country that had a vested interest   
in the Space Station. The three scientists were also back, as well as Col. Jack   
Crichton and Dr. David Kirkland.  
  
"How long will it take before they begin to work?" asked Mr. Winston Adams, the   
British Ambassador.  
  
"Yes, when can we expect to understand everyone?" asked Mr. Charles Jones, the   
American Ambassador.  
  
"You should be able to understand everyone by now," Zhaan replied softly, taking   
in the uneasy expression on John's face.  
  
"Yes, I say, these are wonderful little buggers!" Mr. Adams said excitedly.  
  
***  
  
The calm before the storm.  
  
In retrospect, each wondered if there wasn't something that should have tipped   
them off. Some sign that told them something bad was about to happen. Guilty   
recriminations aside, there was nothing anyone could have done. Perhaps it was   
fate, if you believe in such things.  
  
***  
  
"It is beautiful, Pilot. You and Cassandra did a wonderful job."  
  
"Thank you, Aeryn. But you can see the problem. Cassandra is still trying to come   
up with a way to allow the DRDs some mobility in there, but she hasn't managed to   
come up with anything."  
  
"Yes, I see what you mean." Without DRDs, Pilot wouldn't be able to tell what was   
going on in the room. He could monitor the plants, the waterfall, etc. but he   
wouldn't be able to monitor if anyone was in the room, much less what they were   
doing. Aeryn walked farther into the room. She placed Jack at the base of one of   
the trees so she could survey the room.  
  
"John suggested that we set up video cameras," Pilot added. "But I would rather   
not if we can help it. The DRDs are much easier to monitor through."  
  
Aeryn didn't comment, allowing Pilot to keep up a steady stream of chatter. He   
stopped after awhile with a sigh. "John is bringing them around on another tour,"   
he sighed.   
  
Aeryn grinned. "Well, I'd better get out of here then, he said he would bring   
them by." Her comm. clicked off and she started back to the center of the room   
where she left Jack.  
  
Catching a slight movement out of the corner of her eye, Aeryn started to turn.   
In a blur of motion, she felt a sharp pain in her back, and she gave a startled   
cry. The pain shot through her again, and her pain-muddled head informed her   
that she had felt this before. The pain came again. She gasped for breath,   
coughing, tasting blood in her mouth. She slumped to the ground. She felt hands   
rip away her comm. badge; she heard a voice whisper that her evil would spread no   
farther.   
  
"John..." she coughed, her brain bringing forth the one person she loved with all   
of her being. John was coming here, he could get hurt... 'You are already hurt.   
You've been stabbed three times in the back,' a voice calmly stated in her mind.   
"Jack..." Her baby. Her baby was here. 'And so is he...' the voice said. Her   
blood seeped into the grass beneath her; she was dying.  
  
***  
  
"This is our new hydroponics," John said as the door opened.  
  
"You brought all this up from Earth?" Mr. Jones asked.  
  
"Yep, it'll be our little slice of home," John replied entering in the room. He   
stopped abruptly. The hairs on the back of his neck raised. Something felt   
wrong. He glanced at Cassandra. The shudder that rippled through her told him   
she felt it to.  
  
D'Argo sniffed the air. "Blood."  
  
"What?" Cassandra asked startled.  
  
"I smell blood," he replied ignoring the startled gasps from the Humans.  
  
The three fanned out, searching. Everyone heard the cry of a baby. The Humans   
by the door were confused; the three searching were gripped by a sudden fear.   
Cassandra found little Jack nestled at the base of a tree. He had obviously woken   
and found himself alone, scared he had cried out. Cassandra picked him up, and he   
quieted. "John!" she called. There was no way anyone would leave Jack alone.   
Something was definitely wrong.  
  
She heard D'Argo cry out in shock. "John!" he roared.  
  
She heard John go tearing through the bushes toward D'Argo, and she followed. She   
crashed into the clearing and stopped horrified. Aeryn lay bleeding on the ground,   
three vicious stab wounds in her back. John fell to her side, carefully rolling her   
over, praying that she was still breathing. Her ragged moan brought a temporary   
relief to them.  
  
"Zhaan! Jool! Aeryn's been stabbed! We are bringing her up!" D'Argo shouted into   
his comm. badge. He pushed John out of the way and lifted her into his arms. Her   
blood streaming over his hands.   
  
John followed him, anxiously pleading with Aeryn to stay with him. Her moans and   
gasps of pain were horrible to hear. Cassandra followed them clutching Jack to her   
chest like a lifeline.  
  
The Humans by the door were shocked to see them carrying the dying Aeryn and little   
Jack towards them. Jack and DK let out gasps of horror before rushing to them. The   
whole group ran to Zhaan's apothecary. They picked up crew members as they went,   
meeting Zhaan and Jool once they entered. Everyone on board Moya stood outside the   
room, some pacing, some crying, others in shock... and one who was secretly happy.   
One who was irritated that he hadn't known about the baby. He would have killed it   
too.  
  
John sat on the floor, silent tears streaming down his face, staring at his hands.   
They were covered in her blood. Xhalax was curled up next to him sobbing. He was   
numb. He couldn't even comfort his daughter.   
  
Cassandra stood sobbing in Crais's arms. Chiana stood next to them, tears streaming   
down her face, soft hiccups escaping every time she drew a breath. Stark sat on the   
floor, chanting. Zhaan would call him in if there was nothing more they could do.   
Rygel floated aimlessly, listless. D'Argo paced, restless. He stared at the Humans.   
One of them had done this. He slammed his fist into the wall, a fist still covered in  
Aeryn's blood.  
  
"Which one of you did this?!" he roared starting towards the frightened Humans.  
  
"D'Argo." D'Argo turned at John's soft-spoken word. "Not yet." D'Argo's anger   
deflated. John wasn't ready for vengeance yet.  
  
"Is Mommy going to die?" Xhalax asked.  
  
"No, she's not," Chiana said firmly.  
  
John's gaze snapped up and locked onto Chiana. "Did you see something?"  
  
Zhaan stepped out at that point. John stood. "Aeryn?" he whispered softly.  
  
"We have stopped the bleeding and repaired the damage to her back... but," Zhaan   
glanced down, then slowly walked to John. "She lost a lot of blood, John. She's   
still unconscious."  
  
"Can I see her?" he asked hoarsely.  
  
"Yes." Zhaan waited until he entered followed closely by Xhalax, before allowing   
her tears to slip. She cleared her throat and turned to everyone else. She walked   
over to Jack and took Aeryn's son from him. She walked back into the lab, emerging   
a few microts later without little Jack. Everyone was still silent. "Perhaps it is   
time that you all learned a little about us," she said wiping a tear from her cheek.  
  
The Humans looked a little uneasy, the crew of Moya were unreadable. "John and Aeryn   
are married. Have been for over four cycles. Xhalax is their daughter, and Jack is   
their son." She ignored the surprised gasps from the Humans. "D'Argo and Jool are   
married and expecting their first child. Stark and I are also married." She glanced   
at Cassandra and Crais once before continuing. "Crais and Cassandra are lovers." Jack   
shot a startled glance at the recently revealed couple. "Everyone living on this ship   
considers everyone else to be family. One of you has hurt this family, make no   
mistake, whoever did this will be found... and I pity them, for John will show you no   
mercy." Her tone, severe and unwavering, left little to doubt that there would be a   
price for this action. "D'Argo, lock them all up. None of them were left alone, so   
whoever it was must have managed to slip away. We don't want that happening again.   
Lock them all up together." Zhaan turned away and entered the lab again.  
  
D'Argo, Crais, Cassandra, and Chiana wasted no time in locking every single Human on   
board up in one of the cells. There would be a price for this... perhaps even Moya's   
crew didn't know how high.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
so who do you all think did it? to be honest, i don't even know. when i write  
the next chapter, whoever it was will reveal themselves to me. i'm thinking that  
there will be two more chapters and then the story will be done. so was anyone  
expecting this?  
  
oh, btw... THANK YOU!!!! I HAVE OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! i told my mom if i hit over  
100 i was going to throw myself a party, so that's what i'm doing right at this  
moment! i'm eating lemon cake (my fav!) and drinking sparkling grape juice! thanks  
peps! ...now don't think this lets you off the hook, i still expect reviews!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	19. A Pity, Isn't It?

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 19: A Pity, Isn't It?  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
"Why are we being held in here? Why can't they send us back down to the planet?" Dr.   
Lindsey Smith asked. She was feeling slightly claustrophobic.  
  
"If they send everyone back down then they can't figure out who tried to kill Aeryn,"   
Jack replied, his eyes sweeping over the collection of Humans. One of them tried to   
kill his daughter-in-law.  
  
"Who cares about some dumb alien! We are locked in here!" said one of the   
politicians, obviously close to panic.  
  
"They are probably going to kill us or use us in some experiment," another whispered   
fearfully.  
  
DK let out a disgusted snort. They were worrying about being rightfully locked up   
while Aeryn's life was still in question. "You all make me sick," he told them.  
  
"They have done nothing to harm us," Dr. Price added scornfully. "They are   
protecting their family."  
  
"Let us out!" one of the politicians cried beating on the door to the room.  
  
"Knock it off!" DK yelled.  
  
"If you really want out of here," Dr. Price said once the shouting had calmed down,   
"We should try and figure out who tried to kill Aeryn."  
  
"How do we know it wasn't one of them? They could have turned on her and are trying   
to blame it on us!"  
  
"Will you shut-up!" DK shouted starting towards the man who had been complaining   
since the very beginning. Jack grabbed him and held him back.  
  
This was enough to send the whole collection of Humans into silence. Once Jack   
managed to calm DK down, he turned to the rest. "Where was everyone? We'll go   
around the room, everyone say where they were and who they were with. I was with DK,   
tagging along after the tour group."  
  
"I can confirm that," DK added.  
  
"So can I," Tanya Stanislaski added. She was the only one of the politicians who   
hadn't taken the microbes. She spoke English well, though she did not understand   
any of the ambassadors who didn't speak English or Russian. It had taken her awhile   
to understand everything that had happened. Now that she did, she agreed completely   
with Col. Crichton. They needed to find out where everyone was and who could confirm   
it.  
  
"What about you?" Jack asked. "I wasn't really paying attention."  
  
"I can confirm that she was there," her partner said.  
  
They went around the room and found three who couldn't be confirmed where they said   
they were. Dr. Price, Dr. Mayfield, and the British Ambassador: Mr. Winston Adams.   
"So we have narrowed it down to three suspects," Jack sighed. All three instantly   
were offended by that remark. Jack was inclined to believe Dr. Price and Mr. Adams,   
after all, everyone knew how Dr. Mayfield felt about accepting help from the aliens.  
  
***  
  
John sat next to Aeryn, leaning on her bed, his chin resting on his hands as he   
stared at her beautiful face. He was alone with his wife. Xhalax, exhausted from   
her crying, had fallen asleep. Zhaan had taken her and Jack back to their room.   
Jool was waiting out in the hall, knowing that John wanted to be alone with Aeryn.   
  
"Aeryn," he whispered to her. "Baby, you gotta wake-up. You can't leave us like   
this... don't leave me again..." His mind conjured images of Aeryn laying in her   
coffin on that twice-damned ice planet. He forced the images away, desperately   
trying to think of anything else.  
  
FLASHBACK BEGINS  
  
"This is beer." John placed two bottles on the table. "This is chocolate." He   
placed two large Milk Chocolate Hershey Bars on the table.  
  
Aeryn laughed.  
  
"This is very serious," John protested, grinning despite himself.  
  
They were in their quarters; the sleep cycle would be beginning soon. John had   
begged and pleaded with Zhaan to baby-sit so he could share this with Aeryn without   
the fear of interruptions. Now all he had to do was get Aeryn to actually try it.  
  
He opened up one of the chocolate bars and broke off a piece. "Here, trust me.   
You'll like it."  
  
Aeryn grinned at his earnest expression. She glanced at the chocolate and sighed.   
"Alright." She took the chocolate from him and popped it in her mouth. "There.   
Happy?" she asked before she even chewed. She chewed. "Mmmm..." She swallowed.   
"More?"  
  
John laughed. "Wait. Try this." He had already opened one of the beers and had   
been sipping from it. He passed it to Aeryn. She gamely took a swig.   
  
"Mmmm... delicious. Chocolate?"  
  
He laughed at her expression and broke off a piece. He started to hand it to her,   
and then stopped, eating it himself instead. Aeryn quickly leaned over the table and   
captured his mouth in a kiss. While he was enjoying the kiss, she stole the   
chocolate from him.  
  
She leaned back grinning at his shocked expression. "You..." he said and grabbed   
her for another kiss.  
  
FLASHBACK ENDS  
  
He took one of her hands in his. "Aeryn..."  
  
FLASHBACK BEGINS  
  
They had been sitting in a bar waiting for Chiana and Cassandra. A Nebari female   
had approached John. Despite his attempts to gently get her to leave him alone, she   
was still hanging all over him. Aeryn's temper began to sky-rocket.  
  
A few microts later, she grabbed a hold of the woman and punched her directly in the   
face.  
  
Of course this started the instant bar-fight.  
  
(an arn later, on Moya)  
  
"Ow," she hissed.  
  
Jool frowned at her and dabbed more of the anesthetic on her cut jaw.  
  
"I can't believe you started a bar-fight," Chiana said laughing.  
  
"She wouldn't take her hands off him," Aeryn snapped.  
  
Jool turned away to hide her grin. John, however, had no such reservations: a very   
large dopey grin was on his face.  
  
FLASHBACK ENDS  
  
"Baby..." He placed her hand next to his cheek.  
  
FLASHBACK BEGINS  
  
"...the Radiant Aeryn Sun..."  
  
FLASHBACK ENDS  
  
"I love you, so much. Please, Baby, wake-up."  
  
***  
  
{A few arns later}  
  
John had fallen asleep beside Aeryn. Jool had re-entered the lab and was quietly   
monitoring Aeryn's vitals. A silent parade of Moya's crew had made its way through.   
Even now, there were three DRDs in the room. Jool stood and walked over to them.   
She carefully examined Aeryn's physical appearance, then glanced at John. She   
sighed. Even in sleep, he looked exhausted. For the first time, in a long time,   
she prayed. 'Please don't let us loose Aeryn. She means so much to everyone.'   
Though she and Aeryn could never be called close, she would miss her... Jool   
abruptly left Aeryn's side. She exited the lab and slumped down in the hall, crying   
quietly.  
  
***  
  
At first, there was nothing.  
  
Then a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. Something had happened. Something bad.   
She couldn't remember. The pain slammed into her, and she groaned in pain.  
  
~~~  
  
John woke when he heard a soft groan. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he looked at   
Aeryn. Her face was twisted in a grimace of pain. He stood and took her face in his   
hands. "Aeryn!" he called to her desperately. "Aeryn, open your eyes!"  
  
~~~  
  
She was swimming in it. Swimming in a sea of pain. She wanted to let go... but   
there was something she needed to remember. Some reason why she shouldn't. The pain   
was blinding her. She couldn't remember!   
  
"Aeryn! Aeryn, open your eyes!"  
  
That voice! She knew it! She recognized it! Oh, but it hurt! 'I can't open my   
frelling eyes!' she thought. 'It hurts!'  
  
~~~  
  
"Aeryn! Please, Baby, open your eyes and look at me!"  
  
~~~  
  
At first there was nothing.  
  
Then there was pain.  
  
...and then there was love...   
  
~~~  
  
"...John..." she groaned in agony, opening her eyes.   
  
"Jool!" he shouted.   
  
He looked back down at her. She could see the tears streaming down his face. "Oh,   
Baby, I thought I lost you..."  
  
***  
  
John sat next to the sleeping Aeryn. He glanced up. "I was wondering when you were   
going to show up."  
  
"Oh, John, you know I'm always here when you need me," Harvey smiled.  
  
"And when I don't," John replied.  
  
Harvey walked over and looked down at Aeryn. "She doesn't remember. A pity, isn't   
it? You have no idea who to enact your revenge on."  
  
"I'll figure out who it is," John said stiffly.  
  
"Yes, of course you will. And I will help you." Harvey walked to the door of the   
lab. "Shall we go?"  
  
John glanced at Aeryn and then followed Harvey to the cell containing the Humans.  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
uh-oh... hmmm... wonder what is going to happen... okay, i was wrong, i'm thinking  
two more chapters from this one. i wasn't really expecting the flashback idea to  
take up so much space/time (depends on which way u look at it) ANYWAY! thanks  
to the peps reviewing and e-mailing! keep 'em coming! lol  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	20. Allies

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 20: Allies  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
The Humans were surprised when the door to their cell opened and only John entered.   
He shut the door and locked it again. He leaned back on the door and stared at them,   
not saying a word.  
  
Jack started to come towards him, but John stopped him when he held up his hand.   
Jack watched his son, worry creasing his brow. John said nothing; he just stared at   
them. It was making everyone uncomfortable, but then that's probably why he was   
doing it, Jack reasoned.  
  
John watched as Harvey walked in and around the Humans. Neither spoke. Once Harvey   
had made his way around the room, he returned to John's side and leaned up against   
the door beside him.  
  
"You should ask them if they had anyone missing at some point," Harvey said quietly.   
John's behavior was making even him nervous.  
  
John turned dull eyes to Harvey before looking back at the Humans. "Did anyone   
notice someone missing?" he asked.  
  
Jack shifted nervously. John was beginning to scare him. "Three people were   
unaccounted for," he said hesitantly.  
  
"Who were they?" John asked emotionlessly.  
  
"Dr. Price, Dr. Mayfield, and Mr. Adams," Jack replied.  
  
John straightened. He opened up the door and stepped out. He turned back and pulled   
out his pulse pistol. "The three of you come with me."  
  
Mr. Adams glanced nervously at Dr. Price and Dr. Mayfield before gingerly stepping   
out into the hall. The two doctors followed him. John led them down into the bowels   
of Moya. They finally stopped at a small cell. John locked the four of them in the   
cell and put away his pistol. He sat down on the floor and stared at the three   
Humans. He said nothing.  
  
"What are you going to do to us?" Mr. Adams asked fearfully.  
  
"One of you tried to kill my wife," John gave a soulless grin. "I'm going to kill   
whoever it was."  
  
The three blanched. "You're not serious... are you?" Dr. Price asked nervously.  
  
"Dead serious."  
  
"OH MY GOD! LET ME OUT!" Mr. Adams yelled and began banging on the door of the   
cell.  
  
John calmly drew his pulse pistol. "Sit down," he said mildly.  
  
Mr. Adams took one look at the pistol and promptly passed out.  
  
John sighed. "This is so much fun!" Harvey said grinning. John shot him a look.   
"I'm sorry, John... but just look at him. Pathetic. Completely terrified... of   
you. I wonder how he would feel if he ever saw me..."  
  
"Harvey. Help or get lost," John said, his voice unchanged.  
  
Dr. Price and Dr. Mayfield stared at John. 'Who the hell was Harvey?'  
  
"Yes, of course. Who shall we start with?" Harvey asked.  
  
"Dr. Mayfield." Harvey walked over to Dr. Mayfield. "Did you try to kill Aeryn?"  
  
"No," he responded immediately.  
  
Harvey sighed. "He's not lying that I can tell. And I had so hoped it was him. I   
was looking forward to seeing you shoot him and shove him out an airlock."  
  
"Wake him up," John said gesturing to Mr. Adams body on the floor. "Dr. Price, did   
you try to kill Aeryn?"  
  
"No, I would never."  
  
"He's telling the truth too," Harvey sighed.  
  
John turned to Mr. Adams who was now awake. "And you?"  
  
"No, I did not try to kill her," he gasped.  
  
"That's impossible," Harvey muttered.  
  
John's gaze fastened onto him. "They can't all be telling the truth; one of them   
has to be lying."  
  
"You must be losing your touch, Harv," John said humorlessly.  
  
Harvey had quite by accident discovered that although he was only a neural clone of   
his former self, he was still able to determine if someone was lying. To discover   
that the three people who had opportunity to commit the crime were all telling the   
truth, was quite vexing to him.  
  
"I don't understand," Harvey muttered under his breath, carefully examining the three   
Humans.  
  
"Give it up, Harvey. We'll just have to try the others," John said. Harvey was   
examining Dr. Price when he took a hasty step back in surprise. John stood   
frowning. "Harv?"  
  
"The aliens have taken over his mind..." Dr. Price muttered under his breath.  
  
"His brain wave patterns are changing," Harvey remarked. "Fascinating."  
  
"What?" John asked confused.  
  
Dr. Price lunged towards him, pulling out a knife hidden in his clothing. He slammed   
into John, causing them both to crash into the wall then fall to the floor. John   
grabbed the hand holding the knife, struggling to push it away from his neck.  
  
"I must purge the evil from you, John Crichton," Dr. Price said calmly. "I will   
purge the evil from us all. The aliens must die."  
  
"Who the hell are you?" John grunted as he forced the blade to slowly rise away from   
his neck.  
  
"I am the Deliverer. I am the one who will save you." He frowned as the blade began   
to rise. "Do not resist."   
  
John felt him suddenly fall limp on top of him. He shoved the body off of him and   
threw away the knife. He looked up and met Dr. Mayfield's gaze. "I may not agree   
with accepting help from aliens, but I certainly don't agree with killing someone in   
cold blood."  
  
John stared at him a microt. Dr. Mayfield held out his hand. John accepted it and   
stood with his help. He turned and looked at Dr. Price. "What the hell just   
happened?"  
  
"Multiple Personalities?" Dr. Mayfield questioned.  
  
"Ah, yes! I should have realized that's what it meant!" Harvey remarked and eagerly   
bent over Dr. Price.  
  
John glanced over at Mr. Adams, once again passed out on the floor. He turned his   
comm. badge back on. "Zhaan?"  
  
"John? Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you! What have you   
done with the three Humans?"  
  
"Zhaan, I'm down here with them. Zhaan... Dr. Price is the one who tried to kill   
Aeryn."  
  
***  
  
"He's insane! He kept talking to someone named Harvey! Lock him up! Keep him away   
from me!" Mr. Adams yelled try to get as far away from John as possible.  
  
"You were using Harvey in this?" Zhaan asked shocked. "John!"  
  
"I have a feeling, that she doesn't trust me," Harvey said morosely.  
  
"I don't trust you. Go away, Harv," John replied.  
  
"It's always, 'come here!' 'go away!' Why can't we have conversations like normal   
people?" Harvey complained as he disappeared.  
  
John couldn't help but smile at Harvey's complaints. "He's gone, Zhaan."  
  
"For the moment," she replied darkly. "Let me see your neck."  
  
"Why, nothing is wrong with it."  
  
"Then please tell me why you are bleeding."  
  
John touched his neck and glanced down at his hand. Blood. "Aw frell."  
  
Zhaan examined his neck and then patched him up. "You shouldn't have done this   
without someone else with you," she lectured him. "You shouldn't even have done it   
then!"  
  
"Yes, Mom."  
  
"Aeryn's not going to be happy when she hears about this!"  
  
"Do you have to tell her?"  
  
"I won't have to! The cut on your neck says it all!"  
  
"Zhaan..."  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
well... hmmm... i don't think this is one of my better chapters that's for sure,  
though i do hope that the twist threw you guys, lol. one chapter left, peps, then  
the keyboard will be put up for this story. thanks to the peps reviewing and   
e-mailing!  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


	21. What Happens Next

Title: The Journey Home   
  
Chapter 21: What Happens Next  
  
Rated: R  
  
***  
  
With knowledge, the need for revenge had passed. If Dr. Price had only one   
personality, it would have been different. John accepted that. He would have   
killed him and not looked back. He wondered if he should feel shocked at the   
thought. It would have been in cold blood even if the man was guilty. Strange.   
He expected to feel guilty or at least a small amount of remorse for his   
almost-action. He felt neither.  
  
"You should feel proud of yourself, John. You have evolved into a highly   
intelligent and cold-blooded killer," Harvey remarked. "You shouldn't feel   
remorse! They are just bugs waiting to be crushed under your heel!"  
  
Never-mind. Guilt and remorse have set in... big time. ...and Aeryn is going   
to kill me when she finds out what I almost did...  
  
"Go away, Harvey."  
  
John was surprised when he left without comment. With his back to the   
neural-clone, John hadn't seen the relieved smile on Harvey's face. After   
spending years delving into John's mind, Harvey had begun to feel like an uncle   
to John, and what John had needed was a slap in the face. 'He will begin feeling   
better soon,' Harvey thought happily. 'What would you ever do without me, John?'   
he thought with an ironic smile and disappeared deeper in John's mind.  
  
John sat silently for a few microts before Aeryn began to stir. He touched the   
bandage on his neck and grimaced. Aeryn was going to be pissed. He briefly   
entertained thoughts of escape before reluctantly dismissing them.  
  
"John?" she spoke softly, opening her eyes.  
  
"Hey, Baby..." John started nervously.  
  
Aeryn's eyes began to clear of their drugged sleep and settled into focus. She   
instantly noticed the bandage on his neck. "What happened? she asked concerned.   
Probably because of the drugs, she didn't connect his injury to a fight, instead   
placing the blame on repairing some part of Moya.  
  
"Yeah... I figured you'd notice that..."  
  
"Did it happen when you were repairing something?"  
  
John's eyes lit when she presented him with a possible escape, then dimmed,   
knowing it would get worse the longer he waited to tell her.  
  
"Not exactly..."  
  
~~~  
  
Chiana and Cassandra were packing up the last of the Human equipment when they   
suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream. They dropped everything and ran to the   
scream. As they got closer they realized it was coming from the medical bay   
where Aeryn was. Getting still closer the scream began to make sense as words   
were distinguished.  
  
"YOU DID WHAT?!"  
  
"Aeryn's awake," Chiana commented when they stopped in the hallway.  
  
"John told her what happened," Cassandra added.  
  
"She's taking it pretty well."  
  
"Yeah. I lost the bet. I figured she'd have gotten a hold of a pulse pistol,"   
Cassandra replied laughing.  
  
Chiana's reply was cut off by the sound of a pulse blast. "Frell!" Chiana yelped   
and the two ran to go save John from Aeryn. Of course they were doing this more   
for Aeryn... she'd feel bad after she calmed down.  
  
***  
  
All of the politicians and scientists were off Moya, taken immediately to the   
Space Station and dumped there. Dr. Price was given into their custody as well,   
the crew of Moya wanted nothing to do with him. Jack and DK, however, were still   
on board.  
  
Jack was playing mediator between his son and his daughter-in-law, though he was   
a biased mediator, throwing in comments about the recklessness that John had   
displayed and others like it.   
  
DK was with Chiana. Upon his return to Moya with the politicians, he and Chiana   
had picked up where they left off. Without a doubt they were friends. Chiana   
couldn't help but want more from the charming Human. She realized that this was   
something she couldn't play around with. All her mistakes were glaringly   
apparent to her, and she resolved not to make them again with DK. If that meant   
they never had a true relationship, then that was the way it was to be. She   
didn't want to hurt him. She had hurt D'Argo so bad... A relationship that had   
failure written all over it from the beginning. She wished for the impossible,   
that maybe he returned her regard.  
  
***  
  
Tensions between the crew of Moya and the Humans on Earth were high due to the   
events that had taken place. The invitation they had extended to the Humans was   
revoked, even John and Cassandra wanted nothing more to do with Earth. They had   
already done all they could to warn them and prepare them for the war.  
  
The media was kept in the dark about the events that occurred on Moya, only   
allowed to know the benefits and the threat of danger they had provided. Some   
video was released on what the aliens looked like as well as what the President   
considered "general information." Everything else was labeled top secret. Until   
the scientists could fully understand the technologies they had been given, the   
governments involved were determined to keep it under wraps.  
  
***  
  
It was two days after the Humans left Moya that Jack and DK prepared to leave.   
After much procrastination, they finally made their way to the docking bay.   
D'Argo would fly them over, he was the only one who was healthy enough and   
wouldn't be emotionally affected by their departure.  
  
Jack hugged them all and stepped back towards the transport, clearing his throat   
in an attempt to hold back his tears. DK embraced them all as well. Chiana was   
the last he said good-bye to. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek that made   
her heart lurch in her chest.   
  
They started to board the transport and Chiana took a half-step forward. "Wait!"   
she cried. She turned back and looked at John, the turmoil in her eyes obvious.   
"Please," she said softly. "Can't they stay?"  
  
John looked from Chiana to his father and his friend. "If you want to?" he spoke   
hesitant of their reply.  
  
"Hell yeah, we want to stay!" DK said grinning.  
  
John grinned. He wanted to ask them, but was afraid of their answer. Chiana had   
solved that easily enough... of course he wanted to know why Chiana wanted them   
to stay, but he could wait. She would tell Cassandra who would tell Crais, and   
John would be able to worm it out of him.  
  
***  
  
After sending a message to Earth saying Jack and DK would be staying, Moya and   
Talyn starburst. A few days later found Crais, Cassandra, D'Argo, and John on   
Talyn planning battle strategies. John would have preferred to be with Aeryn   
while she recovered... but she was still threatening to kill him for endangering   
his life.   
  
Jool stayed in the medical bay with Aeryn. Jool kept giving her sedatives to   
prevent Aeryn from driving her crazy. She spent all her time wrapped up in the   
medical textbooks Cassandra had bought.  
  
Stark and Zhaan spent their time in the 'Hydroponics Bay' as Cassandra had dubbed   
it. Chiana continued to teach DK about Moya and her technology as well as   
sending him a smoldering look when she thought he wouldn't notice. Rygel and   
Jack were given the job of babysitting Xhalax and little Jack who they began   
calling JC. With one active youngster, an infant, a puppy and two kittens to   
care for, the two were well worn out by the end of each day.  
  
Things had begun to settle down as they prepared to enter the war. The future   
was uncertain, but they intended to be ready for it. First stop: the Luxan   
home-world.  
  
***  
  
~fin~  
  
WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!  
  
so that is the end of this story. wow! when i first thought of this story i had  
no idea it was going to be like this, it really took me for a ride! i hope you  
guys had as much fun reading it as i did writing it! thanks to the peps who  
reviewed and e-mailed me with encouragement, i'm really grateful.  
  
so... i've already gotten requests for another sequal. should i? and if i do  
should it be placed BE (before Earth) or AE (after Earth)? tell me what you  
think!  
  
...also, i'm sorry it took so long to get this last chapter out. i ended up   
getting real sick, but i'm on meds now so i'm feeling better! I'm hoping that  
within a week i'll be completely better. i hate being sick, *makes a disgusted  
face* lol  
  
~Artemis Luna Diana~ 


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